My life was simple, and then I met you
by White Firebird
Summary: Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he'd run into her all these years later, fully grown from the last time he saw her. So many things had changed over the years, but yet one thing remained the same. The flame of love still burned deep inside. Being co-written with the wonderful and talented Red Foxy!
1. beginnings

**Hola everyone! Here's the new project that I alluded to earlier. It's being co-written by Red Foxy (author of one of my personal favorite Punklee stories and one of the best Punklee stories out there, period, Take Me With You) and myself. It's a radical new take on our conquering hero and champion and our favorite crazy chick in charge. We both hope that you all enjoy this new journey into their lives and come along for the ride. Once more, enjoy! =)**

* * *

"I'm going to the show! I'll be back later!"

It was Friday night on the north side of Chicago, as good a time as any to go out and enjoy yourself, no matter what thrill you were seeking. Chicago was one of the few places in the states where there was always something to do at all hours of the day and night. For Phillip Jack Brooks, or Punk, as he preferred to be called by his friends and family, that fact was one of the many reasons why he loved his hometown. Throwing his Misfits hoodie on and grabbing his house keys, he already had one foot out the door when the sound of his sister calling out to him stopped him dead in his tracks. Groaning, he turned around to face her, looking down at her as she folded her arms across her chest and tapped her foot on the ground impatiently.

"Where are you going?", she questioned, watching him roll his eyes and throw his hands up into the air, as if the question was the stupidest one he had ever heard. "Phil, don't start with me", she stated a bit sternly. "Where are you going?"

"I told you that I was going with some of the guys to a show run by some dorks who think they're better than us", he stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Does this conversation have a point, Chaleen? Because I was supposed to meet up with them...", he said, drifting off to look at the clock on the wall, "almost five minutes ago", he finished with, his turn to now tap his foot impatiently on the floor.

"Well, that's cool and all, but I hate to inform you that you're not going to that show tonight, Phil", she stated, watching her brother's eyes widen, nostrils flare, a look of anger quickly appearing on his face as he dropped his hands to his sides. "Do you have a problem with that?"

He rarely ever got angry with his sisters, but right now was one of those few times. She knew how important it was to him to go to this show tonight, so why would she try to cut him off at the legs and make sure he didn't make an appearance? It was more than a little baffling to him right now that she was trying to impede his progress. "Of course I have a problem with it, Chaleen! Why exactly can't I go?"

"You don't remember?", she asked, this time giving him the look like her question was so obvious that he should instantly know what she was talking about. "Phil, I brought this up to you the other day. My friend just moved here, and she needs a babysitter. I told her that you were good with kids and that you'd be more than happy to do it. Does _any_ of that ring a bell in that head of yours?"

Brows knitted together and eyes squinted in thought, he scratched at his chin, trying for the life of him to remember if this conversation actually took place or not. He was a bit scatterbrained, he would admit that, but he just simply couldn't remember anything. "I don't remember that happening", he stated, plain as night. "Can I go now?", he asked eagerly, hoping he'd be home free.

"No, you can't. Phil, you even said that you'd do it! How can you not remember this? I only asked you on Wednesday!", she exclaimed, growing exasperated with her brother's ignorance.

Eyes widening and lips pursed together, he now knew what she was talking about. _'She was serious?',_ he thought to himself. He was in his room, listening to music and writing some stuff down for what him and the boys were going to do for their next show that was coming up soon, when Chaleen entered, he now remembered. Mentally smacking himself in the forehead, he groaned as a pleading look came across his face. "You were actually **serious** about that!?", he near yelled. "Come on, Chaleen, you know how important my being there for this show is to the boys! I can't afford to let them down!"

She wasn't having any of it, though. Standing her ground, she looked into her brother's eyes with her steely resolve, shaking her head, her body in the stance that basically said that there was no more room for argument. He couldn't believe that she was actually holding him to this. He was distracted by his music and his wrestling! Plus, who was her supposed friend? And why would she volunteer _him_ of all people for this? Sure, he had briefly demonstrated the ability to handle children and keep them from crying their eyes out, but that was it; it was brief. Sticking him in a house with a child for however many hours at a time would only lead to disaster. And the house possibly being set on fire. It wouldn't surprise him at all if that happened either.

"You said you'd do this for me, Phil. Please? And plus, need I remind you who had to drive you to the hospital last month to get your stupid ass stitched up after taking a chair to the back of the head?", she said, a wicked looking smile on her lips as she watched her brother scowl and shake his head. He was in her clutches now, and there seemed to be no escape in sight. Thinking, trying to come up with something rational sounding that could get him out of this, he struggled, and drew blanks. Finally, he came up with something he knew sounded absolutely ridiculous, but he figured it'd be worth a shot anyways.

"I can't go babysit some kid! I'm seventeen years old, living on the north side of Chicago, and it's _Friday night!_ Why would you stunt my growth as a young adult by relegating me to the confines of someone else's house, when there's the whole world out there for me to go see? I shouldn't be doing this. I should be living my life!"

Chaleen let it all set in for a moment, while Phil gave her a hopeful look that maybe, just maybe, his absolute and utter bullshit would work in this instance. The silence began to envelope the room, but before it became deafening, she burst out into a fit of laughter, hunching over and slapping her knee, all while he stood there, the look of death in his eyes, more than a little irritated that she was treating the situation like it was a joke, even if his previous words were a bit dumb and desperate sounding. Leaning forward and using his arm for support so that she didn't literally fall on the ground laughing, she sucked in a deep breath and stood upright again, steadied and grinning like the cheshire cat himself. Grabbing her keys from the jar on the counter, she took her brother by the arm and began to lead him out the door and to her car.

"Do you have any idea how crazy you sounded there?", she asked incredulously, still not believing that Phil was able to pull something as far reaching and borderline sad out of his ass like that. "I mean, that might have worked on Chez or Cassie, maybe even Charlie, but come on, Phil, you know me. Why'd you even bother?", she asked as she unlocked the car doors and slid into the driver's seat, watching her disgruntled brother enter the passenger seat beside her.

"On the off chance you'd actually have a heart and let me go to the show so I can teach those assholes who the real number one wrestling federation is around these parts of Chicago", he groused under his breath as he did his seatbelt, then folded his arms across his chest, pouting and scowling all at once as the car rumbled to life. A wonderful Friday night and he was going to be spending it watching some drooling, screaming, snotty brat. And not even get paid for it. If that wasn't a serious kick in the dick, he didn't know what was. His eyes drifted over to his sister, hands firmly gripped on the steering wheel, a smile on her lips. She sure was enjoying every second of this.

"Lighten up, brother. It could be worse, you know", she said as she came to a stop sign, looked both ways, and then made a left turn.

"How could it possibly be worse, oh _wonderful_ sister of mine?", he asked, adding sarcastic emphasis and air quotes around the word wonderful.

"You could be doing this for free", she stated simply as she made another turn down an empty street. "That would suck hard, now wouldn't it?"

"Wait, you mean I actually am getting paid for this? I'm not sacrificing a night of making those douchebags feel worthless for nothing? Don't mess with me right now, sis. I won't hesitate to stop drop and roll the fuck right out of this car", he said, a serious expression written on his facial features as his hand creeped slowly toward the lock on the door, indicating that, indeed, he wasn't kidding about it.

"What, you really thought you weren't? She offered a hundred bucks for this! I figured you'd do it on that principle alone. My friend is very protective of her daughter, so she always offers top dollar for babysitting services."

_'A hundred dollars...',_ Phil thought to himself as the car came to a stop at a red light. _'That's more than I make for one show.'_ He turned to look at his sister, who was focussed on the road ahead. "How often does your friend need a sitter?"

Chaleen's lips curled into a smile. "How'd I figure that you'd ask that...she usually needs someone to do it two or three times a week, she works a lot of night shifts. And don't worry, it's mostly during the week, tonight was a one night only circumstance, her job really needed her. So before you even ask, yes Phil, you can do this during the week and continue to wrestle on weekends, if you so choose", she said, finally coming to a stop outside of a nice looking home, with the white picket fence out front, a tire swinging from a tree and covered in shades of white and blue. It was your typical home in these suburban parts of Chicago. Stepping out of the car, his sister walked ahead, so he followed closely behind until they reached the front door.

Ringing the doorbell, they waited a moment before it swung open to reveal a woman who looked like she was in her late twenties, her arms extended, welcoming Chaleen into a big hug. Raising his eyebrows at the exchange, the woman welcomed them into her home, and he marveled at how clean and put together everything was. That is, until he peeked into the kitchen and the other living room, seeing how crazy it all looked. Words couldn't describe how chaotic it all appeared to be...it was like three or four children lived in the house, not the one he had heard about. While the his sister and her friend continued to chat, Phil found himself wandering around house, looking at the various pictures of the woman and her daughter. He found one that dated back a few months, the girl wearing a birthday hat on her head, all smiles. "Hmm...March. Can't be any older than eight or nine", he mused quietly, running a finger along the frame of said picture. Upon hearing his name being called, he left the room, but not before taking one last glance at the young girl in the photo. She looked so happy.

"Ah, there he is", Chaleen said, waving him over to her. "Marie, this is my brother, Phil", she said, introducing him to her. He extended his hand and gave the woman a firm handshake and a nod of his head. "He'd be more than happy to sit for you while you're working all those crazy hours."

"Nice to meet you, Phil", the older woman said sweetly, while he returned the favor. "There's just a few things you need to know about-"

"Mom?"

The three of them turned to the stairway, and there stood the little girl in question. She was wearing a Power Rangers shirt and matching pajama pants, her long, brunette hair tied in pigtails. She had an eyebrow raised as she looked down at everyone. "Ah, there she is. Come here sweetie, I want you to meet your new babysitter."

The young girl bounded down the steps and stood close to her mother, clutching onto her arm while she looked up at the man who was to be looking after her now. But before she even said anything else, she made eye contact with the tattoos on his knuckles and her mouth formed an 'o' shape, amazed and intrigued with the ink. Instantly, she grabbed his hand and began to examine every detail of it. Phil's first instinct was to snatch his hand away and scold the girl, but he knew he couldn't afford to make such a bad impression, especially right in front of the girl's mother and his own sister, on his first night on the job. Instead, he tried a lighter approach. "Find something you like there?", he asked through slightly gritted teeth.

"I like your tattoo. It's cool!", she exclaimed eagerly, smiling a toothy smile. Smiling and stifling a chuckle at her energy, he knelt down to her level and held his larger hand out for her to shake.

"What's your name, kiddo? My name is Phil, but I prefer to be called Punk."

"Hi...", she started slowly, eyes looking down at her multi colored socks. "I'm April Jeanette...but you can call me AJ if you like", she said, shaking his hand with her own tiny one, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. He grinned, ruffling the girl's hair with his free hand, while she giggled, still toying around with his tattooed hand.

Maybe this whole babysitting thing wasn't going to be as bad as he thought it would be.

* * *

**And that's a wrap on the first chapter! Can't wait to see what you all thought. Chapter two will be up soon. Lates! =)**


	2. tragic sam and birthdays

**Tragic Sam... ****_This Is Hallowe'en, Punk Style _****Please enjoy, as this is something new for me. Hoping you like! =D**

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"So, what are you planning on being for Hallowe'en, kiddo?" Phil asked, digging through the refrigerator for the supplies he'd need. He had the entire evening planned. Nightmare Before Christmas would be the grand finale to a game he loved to call, Tragic Sam. It usually grossed out every kid he tried it on, and he was certain this one would be NO exception. If he had to babysit, he might as well make it good and fucking entertaining for himself.

AJ sat on a stool intently watching his every move. He dropped a few things on his way to the counter, and she scrambled down to pick them up for him. "I don't know what I'm going to be. Wanna help me pick out a costume?" She asked, handing him an apple and a few of the loose grapes.

"Uh, sure. Now I have to fix this up so, uh, you go in the living room and wait for me, okay? I'll only be a few minutes."

"But I want to help!" She protested, her small hands firmly planted on her bony hips.

Phil turned back to her, dumping the armful of produce beside the kitchen sink. "It'll spoil the game, now scram! Start watching the movie I brought, I'll be out in a minute."

AJ didn't like being ordered out of her own kitchen, but reluctantly did as she was told. She shuffled her feet slowly, her hand grasping the door frame as she dragged herself inch by inch through the door way, making sure she took as long as humanly possible. The last thing he saw was her cheeky round face poking out from behind the wall.

"GO!"

AJ quickly disappeared and he smiled, quite satisfied with himself now. The little brat was going to listen to him if he had to yell at her all night. This was certainly going to be the easiest money he ever made...

* * *

Left over spaghetti served as guts, peeled grapes eye balls... he even cut the shape of a liver from a piece of thick bologna. Phil had found some popcorn kernels for teeth, baby carrots for fingers and he peeled an overripe tomato to serve as the _still beating heart_. He was very pleased with himself. The blasted out brains were a few florets of softened cauliflower he dumped ketchup on. Laying out each bowl around the table, he lit a small candle and placed it in the middle, then grabbed a tea towel to substitute for a blindfold.

"Okay, you ready AJ?" He called out. After placing the last ingredient into a bowl, he listened for her. All was quiet. Too quiet... "AJ!"

Phil didn't have much patience, and for kids, he liked to believe he had even less.

He trounced into the living room, coming to an immediate halt. All the lights were off, it was pitch black, and he wasn't an idiot. So, she wanted to play a different game, huh? He smirked and pressed his lips together in a sneaky line.

"So you wanna play hide and seek, little girl?" He asked, almost bellowing as he casually crossed the carpeted floor. I always win when I play games, kid. You haven't got a Bandicoot's chance in Eggipus Rex!"

He scanned the room, eyes still not yet used to the darkness, and his foot catching on a toy left idly in the middle of the room. His reflexes good, he managed to catch himself before face planting into more of the mess left strewn about, only falling to one knee.

"Come out, come out where ever you are..." Phil spoke in a mocking sing-song tone, as he slowly rose to his feet. Not a thing stirred. "It's not gonna be pretty when I find you!"

He made his way along the wall, and slid around the corner into a long hallway beside the stairs. _Where the fuck was that kid hiding_, he wondered, trying not to trip up on anything else. This would be far easier for him if this wasn't a strange house. Carefully, he went deeper into the darkness, all the while cautious of any little creak or bump... he scanned the stairwell, a faint, orange glowing light catching his eye. _So there you are_... he laughed to himself.

"You know, when I catch you, you're gonna be sorry..." He teased, slowly taking one step at a time. Still no response.

"Gah!" The panic stricken teenager shrieked with fear, as a hiss-like growling sound suddenly brushed quickly past his feet damned near gave him a stroke. The family cat took it upon herself to streak between his legs on a tear down the stairs. Phil _almost_ tumbled, save for the fact that he'd grabbed onto the railing at the last moment. His heart was racing, his breathing staccato, and his palms were now good and clammy. _Fuck_... That little brat was going to pay now. That was it, no more pussy footing around.

He shook himself off and gathered his composure as he angrily stalked up the stairs, ready to murder someone. Reaching the top, he saw the orange night light at the end of the hall, and one open door at the far end to the right. He stood there on the landing, listening. That's when he heard... something. A small bump, like someone had knocked over a heavy object that landed on the rug with a dull thud. His eyes narrowed to slits, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a devilish grin. He had her now...

Phil didn't bother taking his time, and barreled into the room, throwing the door wide as he swept past it. The only light came from a street lamp outside, casting creepy shadows over the small bed and dresser inside. It had to be her room, he was sure. There were a few toys and clothes scattered across the floor, and a little kid sized desk in the corner that had a game console resting on top. He also noticed the closet door was slightly ajar. _Gotcha_!

He almost tip toed over, making not one sound as he moved across the floor.

"The jig's up, missy..." He openly mocked her as he swung the door wide.

Phil didn't know what hit him, having no chance to even cry out. He was instantly flying across the room, landing on his back with a slam, as seventy pounds of eight year old came crashing down, from where he couldn't tell. She sat on his chest, beating him in the head with her little fists in a flurry of stinging smacks.

Hey, st-stop! _Ow_, you little... AJ!" He cried out, trying to shield himself from her small fists.

"You wanna be a bossy jerk, I'm gonna make you pay for it!" She screamed at him, almost hyperventilating. All the fight was now gone and her shoulders slumped, looking like she was about to cry.

Phil winced when she brought her hand up, but all she did was wipe the moisture from her eyes. He thought she was going to start whaling on him again, but instead she rolled off and sat on the floor beside him.

"You hate me and I know you don't wanna be here." Her voice was terse, and she didn't look at him. "Everyone hates me in the end, I might as well make you hate me too."

He had been angry at first, being shanghaied by a kid wasn't something you wanted floating around the circles he ran in. Hearing the broken tone of her little voice made him feel some empathy for her. He sat up and shook the cob webs out of his head before sliding up next to her.

"Who said I hate you?"

"You did."

"I never said that!"

"You wouldn't let me help you, so you must hate me."

He released a long suffering sigh with a huffy, low growl. This was going to be like arguing with a brick wall. "Listen kid, if I hated you, you'd know it. Look, I was just trying to put together a surprise for you, okay?" He placed his arm, buddy style, over her little shoulders in an effort to boost her spirits. He didn't want her to be like this. He hated seeing girls cry... any girl.

AJ looked over at him, not sure she wanted to trust him at all. None of the others ever gave her a reason to trust them, he would probably be no different.

"You'll be just like the rest. I'm just a job to them." She muttered. "No one really cares about me."

Phil frowned deeply, feeling very defeated. How did a little kid become so cynical? Who was he kidding, he was like this at her age, and he still hadn't changed.

"How about you come downstairs with me and check out the mortuary I made in the kitchen?" He suggested, tilting his head towards her and catching her eye. He _raised one eyebrow and offered her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry if I came across like a jerk. I didn't mean to make you feel like that."_

_She glared at him, still unsure. "Okay, but I'm still mad."_

_"__All right Little Miss Mad, let's go then." He said, and getting to his feet he rubbed at his chin. That kid had a mean right hook._

* * *

Phil dimmed the lights and lit the pumpkin sitting on the kitchen table table. This was going to be great! Everything was ready, now all he needed was a victim...

"You all set?" He asked her, tying to blindfold on. She nodded with excitement.

"Now, this is a story about a guy that met a very gruesome, and untimely end. We call him _Tragic Sam_." Phil started to say, helping AJ get seated at the table. "See, Sam was a really, really bad guy, and one day all his bad deeds finally caught up with him when he died in a horrific traffic accident." He explained, building the story little by little in the creepiest voice he could muster. "He was crushed beyond recognition, so no one could say for sure this even _was_ Sam. His brains were scattered across the windshield, and blood was splattered everywhere. His guts were spilling out across his lap in a gooey, red mass, and almost all his teeth were knocked out, bouncing around the cab. His fingers were severed and lay on the floor, and his heart... that was found, _still beating_, ripped from his chest and on the hood of the car! Even his eyeballs were found rolling around under his feet! The FBI had been after him for years, and rumour has it that he actually faked his own death so he could disappear in the Dominican Republic."

The smile on AJ's face was priceless. She actually squirmed in her seat as he described the gore. It made him feel good to make her smile, and that wasn't something he did for just anyone.

"So, as investigators for the coroner's office, it's our job to make sure this is, in fact, Tragic Sam... Are you ready, Doctor AJ?"

She nodded.

"_I said are you ready Doctor_?!" He screamed at her, making the poor thing jump in her seat, yelping out loud.

"That's more like it.. now, here is our first task." He placed the bowl with the carrots in front her. They were slicked up with cooking oil, and had that dead feel to them. "Go on, check it out and tell me what they are."

AJ felt him take her wrist and guide her hand to the dish, placing her fingers in among the mystery contents. She shivered, feeling the cold, rubbery things in her own fingers.

"They say these were his fingers..." All cut off little stubs." He noticed her try to remove her hand but he caught her and held her fingers in. "Nuh-uh... pick on up. I _dare_ you."

AJ grimaced at the dare. She wasn't going to let him think she was soft, or afraid. Trembling, she managed to get one that didn't slip from her grasp, and held it up.

"Take a bite." He suggested, almost bursting.

Without hesitation, she flung it across the room. "No way! Eew!"

Punk's gregarious laughter was thunderous, as he slapped his hand hard on the back of her chair, making her jump. After a few moments, he finally calmed down enough to speak again.

"Had enough? Scared yet?"

Her mouth popped open, obviously insulted at his conclusion that she couldn't take it. "NO!"

"Okay then, Doctor... here are the next bit of remains." He slid over the bowl with the peeled grapes in it. "What are these, then?"

Again, she dipped her hand in and felt around, her mouth contorted with disgust, feeling the small, slippery balls.

"Go on, pick them up, they want to SEE you."

"AHHH!" She squealed. As expected, she sent them flying as well. They hit the window.

Phil couldn't believe how much fun it was to watch her, stifling his outburst this time. He was going to give her the best one next.

"Well doctor, I think we may have the worst thing next. Are you ready?" He asked, and watched her nod feverishly. If he didn't know any better, he would think she enjoyed being scared silly. He picked up the bowl with the cold spaghetti. "Please doctor, tell us if Sam had any GUTS."

She almost hesitated.

"Are you _scared_, doctor?"

"No..." She let him once again place her hand into another bowl of mush. It was slimy, cold, wet, and soft.

"Go on, squish it around, I'm sure Sam doesn't mind that you stir his belly into a tangled mess." Phil teased. "Pick some up, try it."

This time he got the shock. AJ picked up two hand fulls of it, and going by the direction his voice was coming from, she flung it right at him.

Phil sputtered and jumped back, the shock of the cold, wet globs of left over spaghetti instant and startling against his skin. It was in his hair, dripping down his face and all over his brand new tattoo shop shirt. AJ removed the blindfold and started giggling helplessly. There he was shaking both his hands out and trying to remove the slimy mess.

"Hey, you little..." Phil's voice was angry and he noticed right away how she cowered back at his menacing tone. His eyes softened immediately, as he picked away stray stands of the noodles from himself. He hadn't meant to scare or upset her like that again. "You little brat. I never would guess that you had it in you." He reached for her, tussling her hair with his hand, and getting the leftover noodles stuck into her hair as well. "You made my birthday fun, tonight, kiddo."

AJ's smile was as big as the Jack 'O Lantern he had lit on the table.

"It's your birthday?" He eyes widened as she stared at him. "Really?"

"Yep, it was yesterday, actually."

"Ooh... Happy Birthday Phil!" She chirped, and sprang from her chair, grabbing him fast about his waist in a hug. She didn't seem to notice, or care that he was still wearing Tragic Sam's guts. "Everybody needs a present on their birthday! Wait here, I have a present for you!"

Before he could protest it, she was gone. He heard her bounce up the stairs and into her room, and it almost sounded like she was tearing the place apart. While he waited, he washed off what he could in the sink, and ran his head under the tap to get the rest of it out of his hair.

When she came back he was rubbing a small towel over his head, and he'd managed to removed most of the mess. She walked up to him, beaming, and hiding something behind her back.

"What'cha got?" He asked her, and pointed to her back.

"Since you're gonna be babysitting me a while, and it's your birthday, I have something for you."

She presented him with a small action figurine. He took it and had a look.

"It's my favorite Batman character, Harley Quinn!" She was so proud of her gift.

So it was... he smiled and got down to her level.

"This is awesome, AJ. Thank you."

"Do you promise to be my babysitter from now on?" She asked, eyes hopeful.

He nodded. "As long as you need me, okay? I promise."

Again, she wrapped herself around him, much like a choke hold, he was sure, squealing in delight like little girls would do. "Good, because when we move again, I want you to remember me."

He felt his heart sink a little. That poor kid must have been moved all over the place, desperate for a friend. "Come on kiddo, let's watch that movie before your mom gets back."

_Two hours later_...

Both of them were on the couch fast asleep when he mother walked in. He was sitting up and she was laying down, her head in his lap, covered in a blanket. Chaleen was right, she thought, _he was good with children_. Then she saw the disaster in her kitchen...


	3. not that bad

**Hey everyone! So sorry that it took this long to update the story. With work and all, not to mention the stupid hurricane that's going to be coming down on New Jersey, it was hard to sit down for more than hour at a time to write this. But here's chapter three! And also, I just want to say...wow! Thank you all for the support and love you've shown Red Foxy and I. We both really want you all to enjoy this story to it's fullest. So, without much more, here we go!**

* * *

Phil found himself glancing periodically at the clock as he gathered his belongings into his bag. The time currently read 6:45, so he was ahead of schedule. Spinning around to face his dresser, he opened it up and proceeded to tear it apart, looking for his basketball shorts that he was going to wear tonight. After finding them, he threw them over his shoulder, hoping they landed at least somewhere within the vicinity of his bag. He then grabbed his knee pads and wrist tape and threw them in there too, and he smiled as he zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. 6:50, and he was leaving. The show started at eight o' clock on the dot, so he was making wonderful time. Sliding down the railing and landing on the living room floor, he ventured into the kitchen, grabbing some Gatorade and bottles of water out of the fridge for himself and the guys. Kicking the door shut, he saw Chaleen and Chez sitting at the kitchen table, both lost in their own worlds. Chez was flipping through a magazine while Chaleen had the phone glued to her ear, wrapped up in whatever conversation she was having. He shook his head and grinned.

"Well, I'm heading out, girls. If you need me to bring home anything after the show, let me know now or forever hold your peace."

Chez merely shook her head and offered up a smile, waving him goodbye. The phone rang again, so Chaleen put her previous conversation on hold and answered the other call, right as Phil turned around to leave the house.

"Phil! Wait up!"

Turning around thinking that she was going to wish him well and tell him to not get himself killed out there, what he saw was completely different; she was holding the phone out in front of his face, almost waving it. "I assume that this is for me?", he asked, taking it out of her hand and holding his own over the speaker. When his sister nodded her head, he shrugged his shoulders, looking at the clock. He was still ahead of schedule, so no harm, no foul he supposed. "Hello?"

"Phil!", the woman on the other side exclaimed. "Thank goodness I got you while I did. It's Marie", she said. "Do you have a second?"

"Yeah, sure, I can spare that", he said into the phone, placing his bag down, checking the time again real quick. "What's up? Need me for tomorrow or Sunday night?"

"Actually...I need you for tonight. I just got called into the office and it's going to be an all night sort of thing. Is that alright?", she asked, his eye twitching and lips curling up into a scowl. Before he could reply back with whatever insult that was brewing in his head, his sister grabbed the phone from his hand and answered for him.

"Of course he can make it, Marie! Don't worry about a thing, Phil will be right over, you get ready for work. See ya in a bit!", she said happily, clutching the phone closely to her chest while Phil looked like he was ready to murder her right there on the spot. "Now before you flip your lid..."

"I have a damn show tonight, Chaleen! You know I can't watch her, and you know I damn sure can't bring her to the show either!", he yelled, his frustration growing with each second passing. "Why the hell would you think it'd be a good idea to say that crap when I'm practically out the door!?"

"You lost that bet. I've got the pictures. I think we understand each other when it comes to that."

Phil's eyes widened, nostrils flaring up as his sister gave him a grin. Closing his eyes and sighing deeply though, he had to begrudgingly admit that she had him right where she wanted him. His shoulders slumped, though he never took his gaze off of his sister. "You win this one, Chaleen."

"Just think of it as double pay, Phil. And besides, I'm beginning to think you kinda like watching after little AJ. She's adorable and such a sweetie, isn't she?"

"As adorable as a heart attack right now", he muttered under his breath as he picked up his gear bag, grabbed his keys and began to exit the house. "I'll be home late. And tell Cassie that I'll go to the mall with her tomorrow if she still wants me to."

Nodding her head, his little sister bid him adieu and then he was off. Getting behind the wheel of Chez's car, he sped off, burning rubber till he reached AJ's house. During the drive there, however, he thought about how bold Chaleen had been getting with him as of late. Granted yes, she was his little sister and all, but the way she had been talking to him made him shake his head in amazement and grin at the same time. 'I must be rubbing off on her more than I thought', he mused to himself as he pulled into the Mendez's driveway. Leaving his stuff in the car, he walked up the steps to the door. But before he could even ring the bell, the door swung open to reveal little AJ, a huge smile on her face as she looked up at him.

"Phil!", she exclaimed, running into him, wrapping her fragile little arms around his waist. Holding his hands in the air, he still wasn't used to the amount of affection that the youngster showed him whenever he arrived to babysit her. Lowering his arms, he patted her on top of her ponytailed head, a small grin creeping across his lips as he entered the house.

"Thank goodness your here, thank you so much for agreeing to come over on such short notice Phil, you're an absolute life saver. I should be home around midnight, twelve thirty or one the absolute latest. There's an extra hundred on the counter for you, I can't thank you enough. I've gotta run", she said, shaking his hand, then kneeling down to her daughter's height. "Behave for Phil, sweetie. No funny business, alright?"

"Alright, mommy", the tiny brunette groaned, getting kissed on the cheek, which made her giggle.

"I'll see you in the morning, sweetie. Good night!"

"Night, Mrs. Mendez", Phil commented, watching her walk out the door, shutting it behind her. Turning around, he saw AJ sitting on the couch patiently, waiting for him to tell her what they were gonna do tonight. She kept smiling, and Phil couldn't help but smile himself; the girl's attitude was a bit contagious, he'd admit (though only to himself.) He'd also admit to himself that the little girl was actually fun to hang around. It didn't feel like he was babysitting her...it felt like they were hanging out and whatnot, like he would with his own friends. Sure, she'd have her childish moments, but then again, what eight year old girl didn't?

"So what are we doing tonight, Phil?", AJ asked eagerly, still positioned on the couch.

Looking out the door to make sure that her mother's car wasn't there, he turned to face her, a smirk on his lips. "We, my little partner in crime, are going to a wrestling show tonight, because I'm performing and I can't afford to no show it. So you're gonna come with. Any objections? No? I didn't think so", he said quickly, picking up the key to her house, twirling it around his finger.

"Um...", AJ drawled out, looking down at her thumbs, which she found herself playing with. "My mom doesn't let me watch wrestling. She says it's bad and stupid", she said timidly, not looking at Phil as she spoke. "I don't think I should go."

Eyebrow arched, a quizzical look on his face, Phil merely shook his head as he walked over to the tiny girl and patted her on top of her head. "It's not as bad as your mother thinks. It's actually pretty fun, believe it or not. But how about this. There's an ice cream shop on the walk there, so I'll take you to get some after the show, and then we'll come back here and we'll do whatever you want to do. How's that sound, kiddo?"

"Okay...but you have to let me give you a makeover!", she yelled out in his face, causing him to flinch and nearly fall backwards. A toothy smile spread across her lips as she imagined him with lipstick and makeup, and the somewhat horrified look on his face told her that she had come up with the perfect plan. "I can't wait! You're going to look sooooo pretty."

Undeterred, he shook his head, muttering the word no to himself a few times under his breath as he moved towards the door, shepherding AJ outside as he locked it and stashed the key in his pocket, beginning his walk down the street as she followed closely behind him, only stopping to grab his gear bag out of Chez's car. A few minutes into the walk, however, he noticed her lagging behind him. Stopping and turning to face her, he waved at her, silently telling her to pick up the pace. When she didn't do anything, he sighed deeply; this girl sure knew how to be difficult. "What's the matter, AJ?", he asked, looking only slightly peeved that she was lollygagging like this.

"I hurt my ankle the other day at school and it still hurts so...can I get a piggyback ride, Phil?", she asked innocently, looking up at him with her doe brown eyes, for all intents and purposes looking like a puppy that just wanted some attention. Phil went to say something, but at the last second, he bit down on his tongue and held his words in check. Closing his eyes and exhaling a breath through his nostrils, he nodded his head, earning himself a headlock of a hug around his neck before AJ walked around him and jumped onto his back, her arms grasping his neck as he stood up. He was thankful that she couldn't see his face, because a small grin had spread across his lips as he heard her giggle as they walked. There was just something about this little girl that made him want to smile sometimes.

Ten minutes later, the two of them arrived at the small warehouse that he and his fellow friends and wrestlers ran their shows out of, entering through the back door. Upon doing so, he was met with about twenty pairs of eyes staring at him like he had grown a second head, and it looked like he had, with little AJ's own one poking out from behind his, looking like she had stepped into the circus, her jaw was hanging so low and her eyes had taken on the shape of golf balls. "What?", Phil asked incredulously, like it was common for this sort of thing to happen.

"Punk, a moment please?", his tag team partner, CM Venom, asked, using his finger to beckon to him. Letting AJ down and telling her to stay put for a second while he discussed things. "What gives with the little girl being here?", he asked as Phil walked over. "You know that nobody's supposed to be back here except us."

"It's a long story that I don't have time to explain right now. Just let it go for one night and that'll be the last of it, alright?", he pleaded, looking over his shoulder for AJ, only to find that she wasn't where he left her. "God damn it...AJ!", he yelled, starting to grow worried that she was lost somewhere within the cavernous warehouse. "AJ! Where the hell are you!? I told you to stay put!"

**"PUNK!"**

He spun on his heel to find one of his fellow co-wrestlers dragging a sheepish looking AJ behind him, something clutched in her hand. Handing her off to Phil, she ran and hid behind him, using his legs as a shield, looking out behind them, fearful look on her face. "What did she do?", Phil asked the incensed man standing before him.

"The little crib midget took my fucking mask, that's what!", he exclaimed, which earned him a rather stiff slap across the cheek almost instantly. "The fuck was that for, you dick!?", he said, getting another slap.

"First, you don't get off calling AJ a crib midget. Second, you don't curse in front of her, she's eight years old and she's a young girl, so no. Third, and most importantly, you do NOT grab her by her wrist and drag her over here like some rag doll. If I catch you doing anything like that again...hell, if I catch you even looking in her direction again, I'll kick your teeth down your throat. Do you understand?"

The man backed off when he saw that both of Punk's hands were balled up into tightly wound fists. Muttering something incoherent under his breath in the direction of the guy, Punk turned to face AJ, getting down on a knee and giving her an unimpressed look, his lips in a straight line as he shook his head. "What am I gonna do with you?", he asked, ruffling her hair. "You're more trouble than your mom advertised you as being worth."

She looked up to him with an almost sad look in her eyes. "Is your friend mad at me?"

"He's not my friend...and who cares if he is. Let him be mad."

"Are you mad at me?"

Phil smiled, shaking his head, taking the mask in question out of her tiny little hand and holding it up into the light. He had to admit, he was impressed that the little girl had managed to snatch it so easily. "No, AJ, I'm not mad at you at all." He put the mask on her head, covering her face and laughing at the image. She looked like a little luchador. "Tell you what, kiddo. I'm gonna get my match moved up to first on the card, so that way, we can go get all the ice cream in the world and then go back to your house. And then you can do whatever you want to me."

A smile formed at her lips, her eyes lighting up from behind the mask. "Can I keep this too?", she asked, touching it, feeling the stretchy fabric on her fingertips. When Phil nodded his head, she squealed her enjoyment, bear hugging his hips as he patted her back.

An hour later, as AJ watched from a secluded part of the warehouse while Phil wrestled his match, his friend watching her, she stared in amazement at how the entire thing went down. The guys were pulling all sorts of tricks and moves off, and she had even seen Phil do a backflip onto his opponent. All of it made her cheer her little head off when Phil was announced as the winner of his match. Through wide eyes, she felt like she had been touched by the entire experience. She now wondered why her mother wouldn't let her watch something as awesome and thrilling as this. Wrestling was amazing!

Soon after, Phil had retrieved her and there they were, walking back to her home, still wearing the mask she had grabbed, still getting piggybacked there, enough ice cream to fill an elephant in the bag that hung from his wrist...but one thought, and only one thought, was crossing her mind as they entered her home.

She was going to be a wrestler.

* * *

**And that's that! Hope you all enjoyed. And make sure to check out Take Me With You by Red Foxy, Just Friends?, Hostage & Not Over Yet by DemonicXaliv, Hate This Place by Kelzo85, and Think Twice by UnbelievinglyRandom. All good reads! Happy reading! =)**


	4. you belong to me

**Hey there, Red Foxy here! I'm not very good at the teen-kid writing, but I am trying. LOL. Anyhoo... here is the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it, as White Firebird has great plans for this fic.**

**Make sure you join the community here created by Jean The Guardian, _Punk-Lee Nation_! It's a great showcase of CM Punk and AJ Lee stories. Follow it!**

**Chapter Four - You Belong To Me  
**

* * *

Phil had been babysitting AJ now for almost three months. In that time, he knew she had become very attached to him. Hell, he would have been lying if he didn't say the same. She was a huge pain in the ass most of the time but still, he found that she had her own special way of growing on him. He loved how she idolized him, emulated him, and most of all, how she wanted to learn everything she could from only him. She made him feel important. He was afraid at first he'd created a monster, but the kid was sharp and caught on quickly. He really did enjoy teaching her how to wrestle. She was going to be a fire cracker one day, he was sure of it.

There had been times she'd come running to him for his protection, hiding behind his legs from some pissed off wrestler or another. He was well aware that she had been deserving of their ire, but he didn't care. She was his little amigo, and she could damned well do and get away with what ever she wanted. He would see to it. He'd become insanely protective over the little pistol, that was a given. She was _his_ little buddy, _his_ side kick. She was even nick named _Punk's Shadow_. She followed him at the hip every where he went, except into the ring.

There had even been times when he was talking with one or two of the girls at ringside, and AJ would interject herself in between him and what ever female he happened to be talking with, trying to scare off the competition. The kid had a not so shabby ninety nine percent success rate...

* * *

"_Who is he talking to?" She demanded, shaking Colt's arm furiously._

_He looked over to AJ and stifled a small laugh... was that kid actually jealous? He watched as her little face contorted with anger and her eyes narrowed in absolute contempt. He couldn't help himself. He loved a good psychology experiment, especially if it was at Punk's expense. He knew the kid was head over puppy-love heels for his good friend. Time to stir the pot._

"_Looks like he's talking to Angelic Angie, squirt. Angie likes him A LOT, and wants to ask him out on a DATE." He pointed at them. "Look, see? She just gave him a kiss! Look!"_

_That was it for little AJ. She stormed down to where Phil was standing with that very ugly girl, intent on getting rid of her for good. In AJ's young mind Phil was hers, and no one else's. That girl was history._

"_Hey, short stuff! Come here and meet Angie." He motioned her over. "She might be coming with us to the movies on Saturday night. What do you think of that?"_

_Angie smiled at AJ, clicking a giant wad of gum in her mouth every couple of seconds. "Nice to meet you honey."_

_AJ studied the girl momentarily. She was touching his arm and laughing at every little thing he said like a stupid bimbo. It made her wild. This girl wasn't even pretty. Phil should only be with a beautiful girl, in AJ's mind, and this one didn't cut it. In fact, AJ was sure she was practicing to be a clown with all that make up smeared all over her face. There was no way she was about to let this girl anywhere near **her** hero. No one was good enough for him... Cocking her head to the side, AJ smiled sweetly back. _

"_Wow. So __**you're**__ the girl Punk calls the locker room bike! He said you take lots of guys for a ride every day. Must be fun being so popular!"_

* * *

Phil shuddered thinking about that day. He actually laughed as well, and that didn't impress Angie one little bit. AJ just _had_ to say it within earshot of damned near every other wrestler there. Colt laughed the loudest and Angie refused to speak to him ever again. No wonder. She'd told him to get rid of AJ or they wouldn't even get out of the starting gate. He didn't care. That was never going to happen on a good day. AJ was there to stay.

He continued secretly take her to all of his wrestling dates, daring never to let her mother know the truth of that. AJ enjoyed those shows so much, and she was always asking him to teach her his moves so, as she put it, could be as good as he was. Win or lose, the little trouble maker would practically rip his head from his body as she dangled from his throat like a noose! Tonight would be no different.

* * *

Phil's match was middle of the card, so they had time to kill. They arrived, AJ perched high atop his shoulders as usual, her waving frantically to Colt as they made their way around the ring to where he was seated.

"Colt! Colt!" She called out, her big, toothy grin off setting Phil's trademark scowl.

"Hey little lady!" Colt looked over and laughed. "Phil, you look like you're starting to grow two heads!"

"Hardy har har..." Phil squatted down and AJ slipped from his shoulders down his back, setting two feet back firmly on the ground. "She likes it, so sue me."

"Are you gonna beat the snot out of that mean masked guy tonight, Phil?" AJ asked him, tugging on his black basket ball shorts. "I want you to beat the snot out of him for me, Kay? _Pleeeeease_?"

Phil smirked, realizing she was becoming quite acclimated to his world already. "That's my girl! Go for the jugular, AJ. Just like I told ya." He ruffled her hair with his fingers and gave her an encouraging smile. "Always remember, if you have to hit them, make sure they won't get back up."

"You bet!" She turned to Colt, hardly able to contain the excitement inside her now. "Colt, Phil's gonna teach me how to put a person in s sleeper hold after the match!"

Colt turned to his friend with a concerned look. "Are you nuts, teaching that kid this shit?"

"Watch your language man... " He warned, giving Colt a light shove. "You mind looking after her when I'm up?"

"Not at all. Just as long as I'm not her intended victim tonight."

Phil winked playfully at AJ. "Try not to hurt him, okay short stuff?"

* * *

The match was fast and hard hitting. Everyone screamed at the two competitors from the stands... some chanting Punk, some booing. It had gone on for nearly twenty five minutes now, and both men were starting to show their fatigue.

AJ watched in abject horror as Phil's masked opponent managed to bounce himself off the ropes and drop kick him right in the head. She saw his head snap to one side and his body twisting to the right, falling into the turn buckle, then slumping heavily onto the mat. How she _hated_ that masked guy. She hated him even more when he roughly dragged Phil by his leg to the centre of the ring and pinned him for the three count. He jumped up, his arm held high in victory, but her hero just lay there, unmoving.

Poor little AJ didn't know what to think. Her little heart burned. She had seen him lose before, but he had always rolled out of the ring quickly. She was infuriated and scared to death all at once. Before Colt could grab her, she scurried her little self up into the ring and right over to the winner. She was on a mission of revenge. With a look of dogged determination on her disgruntled little face, she pulled her foot back and kicked him over and over with all the force she could muster.

"**OW**, bloody hell, _ow_! St-stop it, kid!"

Roaring laughter rang out almost immediately, as she kicked him again, and again... He was hop scotching away from the attack, from one leg to the other as he scrambled out of the ring before she could give him _actual_ bruises. He knew better than to even try and smack her away. He would have to answer to Phil later if he dared touch a single hair on her head.

By now Phil was sitting up, his head in his hands, still a little groggy from the blow. He could hear all the laughing, and when his eyes finally found their focus, he saw the last two nasty, frenzied kicks to the chins that AJ handily delivered. Was she kicking the shit out of Barry? She _was_ kicking the shit out of Barry! Before he should have, he jumped to his feet, and just as quickly tumbled right back down to the mat. The room was spinning now, and he felt a little ill. This was nothing new...

AJ swung around and saw him roll onto his back, drawing his knees up and covering his eyes.

"Phil!"

She fell to the mat beside him, not understanding what was wrong. Reaching for him, she lightly touched his shoulder.

"Are... are you okay?"

"I'm fine AJ, really. I, I'm just a little dizzy." He tried to explain, hoping to calm her down. His chest was still heaving, not yet having caught his breath properly. He felt her small, quivering hand petting his sweaty arm now, and heard a tiny whimper escape her throat. She usually recoiled in abject terror when he threatened to rub the sweat off on her. Now, it would seem she was too worried to care.

"Are you, gonna die?" She asked, leaning over his face and waving one hand in front of his half lidded eyes.

"Yeah Phil, are you gonna die?" Colt echoed, mocking his best friend as he lay prone on his back.

"**No**." He ignored Colt, and turning his head towards AJ he opened one eye. "I hope you kicked the snot out of him for me."

She grinned from ear to ear. "You bet I did! I kicked his ass, Phil! I kicked his ass!"

* * *

Phil was only a little bit late picking her up from school. He'd hoped she hadn't already left on her own, and a small wave of worry coursed through his body. He didn't want to tell her no when she'd asked the other day, but he'd cut it awfully close. All she had to do was lay that cute little pout on him, and he was putty in her greedy little hands.

He walked down the the main hall passing through a swarm of elementary school kids, all hell bent on getting out while the getting was good. He checked the blue pen marks written across his palm... room 106. That was her classroom. She'd written it there the night before, making sure he wouldn't forget her. She was always afraid of being forgotten, and it was starting to really bother him a lot.

Most of the kids had now dispersed, and just as he was about to walk in, he heard angry voices coming from inside the room. One was a very distraught AJ. The other two, in his mind, were now dead meat.

"Please, just give it back Josh, it's mine!"

"I don't think so. It's mine now." Josh held up her wrestling mask high above her head, taunting her.

"Please! Can I please have it back... I, I... please Josh!"

"I don't know, Thomas, should we give it back to her?" He asked , now waving it above his own head, just out of her reach.

"Naw, why should we? She's just a stupid little geek! Let's toss it out the window!"

AJ cried, hating that they were able to make her do that. It showed her weakness.

"_**Give it back**_."

Both of them turned and their eyes fell to the tall, intimidating young man in the door way. He stood there, all six feet of _him_, towering over _them_. His well muscled, tattooed arms folded threateningly across his chest, and his long, messy bleached blonde hair hung carelessly over dark, dangerous eyes.

"Did I _stutter_?" He barked, making them jump. Josh dropped AJ's prized possession to the floor.

Phil looked to AJ and smiled before turning his attention and menacing glare back to the boys. "Pick it up and give it to her, NICELY. It's pretty damned pathetic that two guys like yourselves would pick on someone younger than you. Oh, and for god sake_,_ _apologize_ for being such colossal douche bags."

Josh timidly picked up the mask and handed it back to AJ.

"I'm really sorry... sorry!"

Phil snapped his malignant eyes to Thomas. "You too, Tweedle Dum ass."

"Geeze AJ, I'm sorry too!"

The corners of Phil's mouth started to curl up, satisfied that the two of them were scared shitless.

"You may now get lost! If I find out you've been harassing AJ again, I'll be after you, and it won't be pretty!" He bellowed.

Without taking their scared eyes from Phil, the two of them scattered out of the class room, clumsily falling all over one another in the process. AJ ran over and hugged him around his waist, almost toppling him over.

"Hey, short stuff." He squeezed her shoulders in his fingers before pulling her back to look at her. She had the mask clutched tightly in her hand, and her eyes were red and watery. He could clearly see she was doing everything she could not to fall apart in front of him. "It's okay now, they won't bother you again. I'll see to that. I promise, AJ."

AJ was doing her best not to cry... tears of relief stung at her eyes, but she willed them to go away as best as she could. She wanted to be strong in front of him, not pitiful and weak. He was her idol.

"Th-thank you..." She managed to say, and wiped her runny nose with her sleeve. "One, one day... you'll see, I'll make th-them cry!"

"You got that right, kiddo." He gave her a comforting kiss on the top of head and rubbed her back before scooping her up into his arms. "Let's get you home before your mom starts to worry."

* * *

**Okie dokie, now it's done. Hope you all enjoyed, and I'm so glad to see so many reading it.** **XD**


	5. won't forget you

**Hey everyone, it's White Firebird! Here's the next chapter...me and Foxy are really pleased and overjoyed that so many of you enjoy reading this fic. We have great plans for the future of it, and we can't wait for you all to join us on the ride. And on another quick note, make sure to join the community that Jean The Guardian created, Punklee Nation! It's got all your favorite AJPunk stories. So without further adieu, here's chapter five!**

* * *

_"Happy birthday to you..."_

AJ smiled brightly as she sat at the head of her kitchen table, watching as her mother brought out the big birthday cake adorned with Batman, Joker and Harley Quinn figures on top of it, right next to a giant nine that was lit. This was the second best day of her life. The best, obviously, was when Phil had entered her life. And yet...he wasn't here right now.

_"Happy birthday to you..."_

Behind her smile, the façade she was putting on was beginning to crack. Why wasn't he here? What could be more important than missing her ninth birthday party? After everyone had arrived for the most part, she ran up to her mom, tugging on her pant leg and asking about fifteen times, in rapid fire succession, where Phil was. All her mother could do was shake her head and tell her that he hadn't shown up. It took all she could not to start crying right there.

_"Happy birthday sweet AJ..."_

It was nice that her friends, however few she had, had shown up for the party. But it didn't matter; she wanted her Phil there. He had been babysitting her for close to five months now, since he turned eighteen last October. And what a five months it had been! Ever since he had come into her life, she felt like she had finally met someone who understood her, who took her for what she was, and accepted it. He always showered her with attention and, he introduced her to wrestling! Oh how she **loved** wrestling. But right now, none of that mattered; she was willing to give up her birthday cake and all her presents if it meant her Phil was here.

_"Happy birthday to you!"_

She blew out the candle on her cake as everyone cheered and clapped, her mother placing a kiss on her cheek, before getting the knife to cut it. AJ looked around, poking her head out from behind her mother's body to look at the front door; still nothing. Feeling a wave of sadness begin to crash over her, she bit down on her lip, then her tongue, to prevent the tears from flowing. Not here, not now, she told herself. Not on her birthday. If Phil was going to be a jerk and lie to her about coming, then she wasn't going to let it bother her. It's not like this kind of thing hadn't happened to her before...

As her mother handed her the first slice of her birthday cake, she heard the doorbell ring, and instantly she was out of her seat faster than the Flash on his best day. Racing to the door, she gripped the knob and swung it open, revealing...Colt.

"Happy birthday, kiddo!", he exclaimed, that big goofy smile of his on his lips as he entered, big box in his hands. "Nine years old, right? You're getting huge!", he said, patting her on the head, giving his gift off to her. When he noticed that her smile wasn't genuine looking, he frowned. "Something up, shorty?"

Putting her present down, she shook her head. "No...you came alone?", she asked, close to resigning herself to the fact that Phil wasn't going to show. When Colt nodded his head, she lowered her own, biting down on her lip again. Letting a deep breath out, she looked up, but found her eyes covered by a large set of hands. "Colt, I'm not in the mood...", she grumbled out, squirming underneath his grip, unable to break free so she could kick him in the shin.

"I'm not doing that. I'm standing right in front of you"

"Then who..."

"You didn't think I'd ditch you on your ninth birthday, _did you?_"

His hands removed from her eyes, AJ spun around and practically tackled him to the ground. "Phil!", she squealed with excitement, her tiny arms wrapped tightly around his neck in a suffocating hug. He smiled as he returned the hug, looking up at Colt, who was making faces and pretending to cry at the sight of it. Shaking his head, he let go of AJ, who then promptly kicked him as hard as she could in his shin and then punched him in his shoulder to boot. Just because he deserved those blows didn't mean that they didn't hurt any less.

"**OW!** Jeez girl, save it for the next string of lessons tomorrow night!", he said, rubbing his shoulder. Girl had a helluva right hand!

"That's what you get for making me think you weren't going to show up today, jerk!", she said, though a smile quickly formed on her lips as she took him by his hand and helped him to a vertical base. "I'm really glad you did come though. It wouldn't be the same without you!"

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?", Colt asked, feigning hurt, putting the back of his hand on his forehead, acting like he was dying after hearing AJ's words. "And to think, I help teach you all the moves you want to learn..."

She stuck her tongue out at him and blowing a raspberry in his direction, then spread the love and gave him a hug as well. "You're a great teacher, Colt! Just not as good as Phil."

Smirking, Phil shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say? I know that of which I teach", he said, lightly shoving Colt, noticing the little box that he held in his hand just a moment ago was conspicuously missing. When he looked around, he saw AJ attempt to rip the wrapping off of it, so he quickly moved to intercept her and make sure that didn't happen. "Nuh uh uhh, not so fast there, quick draw. You don't get to open my gift to you till later."

"But I wanna open it _now_, Phil!", AJ whined, stomping her foot on the ground and pouting. Normally, when she laid that cute little pout of hers on him, along with the puppy dog eyes, he'd cave and give in to her demands and do whatever she wanted. But nope, not today, even if it was her birthday. She could afford to wait a little while longer.

"'Fraid not, missy. It's my gift to you, and I think you should wait. It'll build up the suspense and you'll appreciate the gift more then", he said, adding a wink as he tucked the small box into the back pocket of his pants.

"Don't listen to him, squirt, he doesn't know what he's talking about. Here, you can open my gift if you'd like", Colt said, shooting a mock glare at his best friend, who scowled as he took the big box and handed it off to the tiny brunette spitfire. "Hope ya like it, shorty."

AJ's eyes lit up as she began to tear into the wrapping paper, discarding it to the side as she ripped the top off of the box, looking down to see the contents, her eyes growing as wide as her smile had. "I know how much you love Batman, so I got you a bunch of Batman comics and action figures and-"

She had raced over to him and damn near knocked him on his ass, she collided with his waist so hard and fast. "Thank you so much, Colt! I'm gonna have so much fun reading and playing with all of these! You're the best!"

He looked over to Punk, who had his arms folded across his chest, unimpressed that his little amigo was showering his best friend with all the attention. "You hear that? _I'm the best_", he said, puffing his chest out, grinning like the cheshire cat himself, all of which earned him a flick on the ear. "**Ow!** Dick."

"What have I told you about watching your language in front of her!", Phil exclaimed while AJ giggled, before turning her attention back to the mass collection of comics and figures she now owned. "She's nine years old, she doesn't need to be hearing that."

"Who doesn't need to be hearing what?", a voice called out, belonging to Mrs. Mendez as she walked into the living room, maneuvering around a couple of kids as they raced by into the kitchen. "Colt! Phil! So glad you two were able to make it out today", she said happily, shaking both of their hands, also giving the young men both a peck on the cheek.

"Don't think anything of it, Mrs. Mendez, I wouldn't miss AJ's birthday for the world. Sorry for getting here so late though, I got held up at home", Phil murmured, lying through his teeth; he had spent all afternoon at the warehouse going over what the plans were going to be for their upcoming show next week. But AJ, nor her mother, didn't need to know about that.

"Ah, it's alright, no worries, dear. Can I talk to you for a moment though? In private?", she asked, Phil nodding his head as they walked to the front door. "Colt, help yourself to something to drink and some cake if there's any left. And AJ, sweetie, make sure to throw that wrapping paper out, alright?"

AJ nodded and smiled, taking Colt by his hand and leading him into the kitchen, while Phil and Mrs. Mendez stepped outside onto the front steps. "What's up, Mrs. M? Need me to watch AJ for an extra day during the week?"

"No, no, same schedule as usual next week. I wanted to talk to you because...I just...I just wanted to thank you, Phil", she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You don't know how much you mean to AJ. You've been a life saver these past few months, you really have. I haven't seen her this happy in a long, long while. Every time you're around, she just lights up and smiles and..."

Phil noticed that she was slowly losing her resolve, evidenced by the tear that slid down her cheek. He nodded his head, grabbing the older woman's hand and holding it in his own. He could only begin to imagine what her life must be like, being a single working mother. From the bits and pieces he had heard from AJ, the two women had moved quite a bit over the years, never staying too long in one place, never fully being able to put solid roots down. The constant upheaval, all of it...he now had a better appreciation for little AJ and her mother. It was no wonder why she had such a fear of being forgotten about. She was never around long enough for anyone to remember her, ever.

"It's alright, Mrs. Mendez. You don't need to do all this. It's cool." He wasn't really one with his emotions, at least not like this. "I'm just doing what I can to help. I like having AJ around. She's...she's something, alright. A firecracker, spitfire for sure. I'm just happy she hasn't grown sick of me yet", he said, winking with a chuckle, getting Mrs. Mendez to do the same. "Really though, I'm glad I get to watch over such a great kid in your daughter. She's a joy."

"You should hear the things she says about you, Phil. She practically worships the ground you stand on. You're her hero", she said, doing her best to not choke up thinking about just how much happier her daughter had become. AJ was her whole life, and the fact that she finally found herself a solid set of friends, not to mention that Phil had become such a great presence in her life, made her feel like she was on top of the world.

He smiled. "She's a hero to me too."

* * *

A few hours later, all of her friends went home, and Colt was helping Mrs. Mendez clean up inside as AJ and Phil sat on the front steps, looking up at the star dotted skies. Her head was resting on his arm, clearly tired from such an awesome party. Yawning, she looked up at him and a thought came to mind as she prepared to speak.

"You weren't there to sing happy birthday to me, Phil."

Turning to look down at her, he frowned; he hadn't realized that fact. Feeling guilt creep up inside him, he sighed. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I was at the warehouse going over stuff with some of the guys for next weekend. I lost track of time, I suppose."

"Was that mean masked guy there?", she asked, her tone of voice suggesting that she really, really didn't like him, not one bit.

"Yeah, Barry was there. We all gave him flack because you whooped his butt. He wouldn't talk to me because of it", he said, a smile forming on his lips as he thought back to all the teasing Barry got from all of the guys. It was hilarious. "You really kicked the snot out of him. I'm proud of you."

AJ beamed, her smile lighting up in the dark. "He deserved it. He was mean to me when I was there, and he didn't deserve to beat you. You're the best!", she then exclaimed. She then added, "I was just doing what you would have done."

"Well, you did a really good job. You're learning well, short stuff", he said. "You're gonna be an amazing wrestler when you grow up."

"And you'll be right there to cheer me on, just like I'll cheer you on too!", she exclaimed, not noticing the sudden change in demeanor on Phil's face. He sighed as he ran a hand through his long, bleached blonde locks. He bit down on his lip, unsure of the right way to say what he wanted to say. It wasn't easy breaking sad news to an over-emotional nine year old girl. Now sensing the melancholy look on his face, AJ frowned. "What's the matter?"

He figured he'd just let it rip and apologize later; it was just how he operated. "You know...I'm not gonna be around forever." Seeing her whip her head to face him, the sudden look of worry on her face didn't do him any favors as he trudged on. "At some point, my career is, hopefully, going to take off...and I'll have to leave. Travel the world. Become one of the best wrestlers ever...it's going to happen. Or it won't, and you might have to move again. You've said that yourself. And...", he stopped, noticing that the poor girl was on the verge of tears. "No, don't do that..."

Pulling her into his welcoming embrace, he let her cry her eyes out, tears beginning to soak his shirt. Her body shook, wracked with sadness, as she clung onto him, not wanting to let him go, ever. She didn't even want to think of one of those possibilities. What would she do without him? Where would she go? She needed him. His guidance, his care, his attention...she couldn't live without it.

"Hey. It's alright. You have me now. You've had me for the last five months...and you'll have me as long as you need me. I'm not going anywhere right now, okay?", he assured her, rubbing her back in a circular motion. "I promised that I'd be your babysitter, and I won't break that promise." AJ calmed down a bit at his words, but she still had fresh tears sting her eyes, sniffling, wiping her runny nose with the sleeve of her shirt. "Close your eyes, AJ. I've got something for you."

Slowly nodding her head, forcing a smile out for him, she pulled back and did as he said, closing her eyes. Taking his gift to her out of his back pocket, he placed it on her lap as he cleared his throat. He owed her this. "Happy birthday to you...happy birthday to you...happy birthday, my little AJ...happy birthday to you."

Opening her eyes, she gently tore off the wrapping paper on the small box, opening it to find the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. Painted red and black, the aluminum rings jangled as she took it out of it's box and held it in her tiny hands. More tears threatened to fall as she handed it to Phil, so he could place it on her. "What is it?", she whispered as he clasped it around her neck.

"It's a Harley Quinn necklace. See the imprint of her hammer here on the front?", he said, pointing it out to her. "Me and my sisters made it. I know how much you love Harley Quinn, so-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, as AJ threw herself at him, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "It's pretty. Thank you so much, Phil. I'll never take it off!", she exclaimed, the words muffled. Her next words tugged at his heart strings. "I'll never forget this."

Holding his little amigo in his arms, he rubbed her back and her arms, a solemn thought penetrating this happy moment. He tried to push it away, to the back of his head, but he couldn't, a harsh reminder of what he had just told her.

_'Yeah...you probably will.'_

* * *

**Well, that's it for chapter five! Chapter six will be up soon, and make sure to check out Red Foxy's fic, Take Me With You. It's an amazing read. Lates! =)**


	6. I promise you

_**I promised you...**_

**Here we are again... loved reading the reviews and such. It's great to know you all like this story. Red Foxy**

* * *

"What do you mean you can't take it? Punk, are you nuts?" Colt was sure of it because he would never have expected to hear what he just did without Phil being drunk, and Phil did not drink.

"I made a promise, Colt..." He grabbed a towel and started to wipe the sweat from his face. "I can't desert her man. She needs me."

"She's nine! Dude, _nine years old_! She can make new friends!" Colt was about to jump out of his skin. "You miss this man, and you don't know when another one is gonna come up."

Phil was physically aware of the anger building inside his tired, beaten body. He shot Colt a warning glare as he started to feel intense waves of impatience with him over the whole, messy issue. "Do you think I don't realize what it is I'm giving up here Colt? I'm not a fucking idiot, man!"

"You're not thinking straight either! You have to put this into perspective..." He pleaded with his conflicted friend. He knew once Phil made a decision about something, he rarely changed his mind. "Look how far you've come. Do you really want to flush this down the shitter because you feel responsible for a little kid?"

"How _dare_ you question my reasons for not bailing on her? Have you forgotten where I come from? My family deserted me when I needed them, so I went out found a family that wanted me! Now AJ needs me, and I'm not going to break her heart like mine was. Not a chance, man. Forget it!" He huffed, his voice strained.

He knew Colt had his best interests at heart, but he was deadly serious. There would be no way he just could up and leave that kid while she still needed him. _Fuck_... Colt _was_ right, he had waited a long time to get noticed, but how could he... after what he'd been through and knowing... Unable to stay on his feet any longer, he finally allowed himself to fall back into a changing room cubby and tossed his towel on the floor.

"I promised her..."

* * *

"You ready for another fun filled night of wrestling and mayhem, Squirt?"

She didn't answer him, remaining silent and laying on her bed.

"AJ, did you hear me?" Worried, Phil dropped his wrestling gear and walked into her room. "AJ..."

The little girl turned over to see her hero coming to her rescue again, but this time she knew there would be nothing he could do to save her this time.

"Aww, honey, what the heck is wrong?" He asked, surprised to see her tears as he sat beside her on the bed. He put his hand on her shoulder and shook her a little. "You know you can tell me anything, right? Who's the bully now? I'll pound him into the next millennium."

Her pretty round face was stained with broken hearted tears, and her untidy pony tailed hair stuck to the wet spots around her cheeks and eyes. Her little nose, it was red and stuffy from sobbing most of the afternoon. She literally had no energy left to go with Punk to the hall tonight. It had been mercilessly wrung out of her little body by her mother's announcement earlier.

"We... we have to... move... again."

Phil had no idea having the bottom drop out of an elevator felt quite like this. It was like a flood of flames had taken up residence inside his throat, the worst of the burn concentrated within his belly.

"Stop fooling around and tell me what's really wrong, kiddo. That isn't funny."

"I'm not kidding!" The small girl's voice became high and hysterical with heartache. Her face was scarlet and swollen from crying and her tiny body involuntarily took to tremors every few moments. She felt like she was dying inside, and nothing, _nothing_ could ever make her smile again. Her life was over... she was losing her best friend, and there was nothing either one of them could do about it.

The grief over her revelation started growing inside him like a cancer, and he felt his own eyes start to sting as he blinked back the wetness in disbelief.

AJ slid from her bed and half stumbled over to where Phil barely still stood himself. Circling her thin arms around his waist and clutching at his belt, she softly bumped her head against his stomach over and over in her frustration and fear. She had to have hope, and made a desperate appeal she knew was probably not realistic at all.

"I don't want to go Phil, I don't want to go... please, don't let it happen again... don't let her take me away from you!"

Her pleas broke his heart. How the hell could _he _prevent _this_? His face was drawn and downcast, eyes now dark with pain. Crouching down, he sat on the floor and gathered the broken girl onto his lap, rocking her quaking body back and forth as she sobbed against him, trying to find something positive to say in the midst of her agony. The question was, what?

"Listen, AJ, come on now... even if you do have to go sooner than you want to, it doesn't mean I can't keep in touch with you." He knew that wouldn't happen, but he had to throw something out there. Why hadn't Mrs. Mendez told him about this when he arrived? "I promise you I'm never gonna forget about you, no way."

"Yes... yes you will..." She sobbed.

* * *

_Fall, 2009_...

"What do you mean _you_ want to scout new talent? Isn't that Talent Relation's job?" Amy asked, sliding her legs out from their bed.

Phil finished dressing and grabbed his cubs hat. "Yeah, but they're shitty at it. You know I have a better eye for talent than they do. I need a girl for my little club... spice things up a bit." He pushed a hand through his long, black hair, scratched at his shaggy beard, then pulled his cap on. "Besides, they always screw it up."

She rolled her eyes at him. He'd been infuriatingly self-important as of late, and she was growing so damned tired of it. It was always all about his career, but he just took it way too far.

"Sometimes I wonder if you aren't OCD, Phil... really. I can't keep up with you and this maniacal mission you seem to be on. It's like you have fucking tunnel vision!"

"Being focused is _not_ a bad thing Amy. I just want to have a look, you know, check out the new ones... Why don't you come with me, you might actually enjoy yourself." He stood there ready to go, his hands on his hips, waiting. "Beats hanging out creating finger paintings with _Jeff_."

Amy was could not believe he just said that.

"Still jealous of Jeff, huh?" She smirked, knowing full well how to push his buttons. "At least he paid attention to me, which is more than you've been doing for the past few weeks! I don't know who the hell you are anymore!"

"I'm not jealous. I'm just more dedicated than that hack. I can't help that fact. You know it's true." He was defiant, and scowled at the mere thought of her thinking he could be jealous of a frigging drug addict.

"I know what else is true... you're _not _my personal Savior, either, so get over yourself already."

She didn't want to go traipsing around the developmental circuits watching a group of hopefuls crack one another over the head. She might have wanted to spend the day with him doing something that didn't involve wrestling. The problem was that he always wanted something different from what she did... at least lately. It was like they had been growing further apart with each fight, and she knew the relationship was coming to a close soon. The writing was on the wall.

"Earth to Amy... are you coming or not?" He asked her, his expression as optimistic as the day was long. He held out little hope she would accompany him at this point. She had already shut down.

"You may literally _be_ wrestling Jesus right now Phil, but it doesn't mean I have to be a disciple."

He shrugged, getting a little uneasy with her change in attitude. "Okay, fine. You still didn't say if you want to come. What's it gonna be, Amy?"

"Uh, no. You go ahead, okay? I have some things to take care on my own." She said, and gathered a blanket up around her naked body. She had never been bashful around him, but it was time for her to leave. "I probably won't be here when you get back."

She could see his mind frantically spinning behind those grey green eyes. He knitted his brows together, realizing her meaning in an instant.

"What are you saying?" He closed the gap between them and reached over to her, but she shied away from his touch and stepped backward towards the bathroom. "Amy..." His face grew more serious when she didn't answer him.

"Listen, I know we haven't been getting along as of late, and it's not just me. I'm tired of the constant criticism, the bickering over nothing... cheap shots about Jeff." She caught the wounded look in his eyes, her heart feeling a twinge of regret for even saying it. "Phillip, I can't do this anymore. I'm done."

Crestfallen, he didn't know how to respond to her revealing disclosure. She shell shocked him. Everything she said was true... he couldn't deny it. This was always the inevitable end to all of his relationships. In some way, shape or form, he had managed to push every one of them away weather he meant to or not. Mostly not.

He watched her step back a little more, her eyes unable to stop the tears that would come. Turning quickly, the beautiful red head closed the bathroom door behind her. He knew better than to still be there when she came out. Gathering up his things and tossing them in his bag, he left, leaving the hotel key card on the night stand.

_Later that same day_...

"Hey, if it isn't my personal Savior!"

"Shut up..." Phil groaned, and tried to keep walking, pretending he hadn't heard Colt's lacklustre attempt at humour."

"Punk, wait up man! I haven't been blessed today!" He called after him, following in step with the Second City Saint. "That text you sent me... was it,uh, the real deal?"

"Yep, I'm now a single guy, again."

"You don't seem all that broken up about it."

"How can I be? It is what it is, and by that, I mean it's pretty much all my fault." Phil shot him a forlorn, sidelong glance. "That doesn't mean I don't still feel it, man."

Colt nodded his head in understanding, and gave his good friend a comforting pat on the back. "You really are Batman... it's a lonely life. I don't know how you can ever expect to ever have a normal relationship, dude. You're a fucking enigma. Chicks don't get that about you."

"Yeah, that's right." He answered, feeling somewhat jaded. He pulled the hood of his jacket up over his head and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Let's face it man, you can sometimes be a demanding, judgemental, all or nothing perfectionist. Not to mention that annoying critical attitude you have at times. That's something most women...okay, sorry, ALL women, cannot put up with for more than a few days. Even with all the phenomenal sex, there's only so much jerk faced ass hole they can stomach." Colt laughed. "You are _way_ too intense, man."

"Do you ever shut up?"

Colt gave a sigh, and smiling, fell in step with his best friend. "Nope. You would have to kill me, dude."

_Two Days Later._..

After watching and talking with several different people at FCW, Punk had finally settled on a young woman by the name of Serena to be the latest addition to his new stable. She would fit in perfectly, and she agreed to let him shave her head. The moment he got to that caveat, interested parties usually glared at him like he was out of his mind and bailed on the idea. It didn't matter that he was CM Punk or that they would finally be on the big WWE stage. Most of the women valued their hair more than their careers, it seemed to him.

There were three practise rings on the go this morning, the middle one currently with two athletic, very aggressive women. Colt nudged Punk, dragging him over to the middle ring.

"Look at that!" Colt pointed at the buxom, two tone haired woman that currently had her much smaller opponent in a head lock. "They can fight pretty good."

"So it would seem..." He agreed.

Phil took a seat in the bleachers just across from the ring and watched as the sparring continued. Colt was right, they were actually pretty good. He didn't know who they were, but these girls had a lot of skill and speed. Especially the little one. If he didn't already had another woman in mind for his Straight Edge Society, he would be seriously considering her.

"She's really good." He motioned over, mindlessly biting at his lip ring. Colt nodded in agreement.

"Not bad lookin' either, buddy. _Rawr_... the tight little body on that one makes me all hot 'n bothered."

Phil winced and turned his head over to him, a look of mild disgust on his face. "Do you have to be so repulsive, Colt? She's just a kid. You have no business even looking at her like that! Now, pop those eyes back in your head, you revolting mother fucker."

"There you go, being all prince charming-like. You can't tell me you wouldn't like a go..."

Phil didn't hear what Colt was yammering on about anymore, his eyes now completely focused on the two women in the ring, still grappling with each other. He watched intently as she rolled around the ring in her red converse boots and green plaid two piece out fit. It looked more like a bikini than wrestling gear to him. The tall blonde drop kicked the little one, and she let out a yelp that made him jump in his seat. Before he knew it, she was back up and had her opponent by the neck, yanking her hard down to the mat. _One...two...three.._.

"Yeah right," Colt chuckled, seeing the quiet reflective expression on Punk's face as he fingered his scraggly beard, "you aren't interested at all... ass hole."

"I want to meet her."

Dumb founded, Colt watched him stand up and start down the bleacher steps toward the ring.

"That was a great work out Kait." AJ said, smoothing down her long, dark hair.

"You're not so bad yourself, Chick-busters forever!" She exclaimed, a wide, bright grin stretching across her face.

They shared a collective high five and as Kaitlyn turned to exit, she happened to glance up into the bleachers. "Whoa..."

April walked into her and damned near knocked her off the apron. "Umph! Kait, why did you stop?"

Her friend quickly turned around, her eyes full of what AJ could only describe as fear. "It's _him_!"

She crinkled her nose up, not understanding. "_Who_?"

Kaitlyn's eyes damned near bugged out of her head as she signalled up into the seats. "It, it's _Punk_..."

AJ whipped her head up and saw him. He looked like Jesus Christ and he was headed straight for them. She was trapped. She hadn't seen him in person since that night when she was nine, and felt like she was about to faint dead away. How was she going to get out without him knowing it was her?

"I, I think he's coming to see us... oh my god!"

AJ's heart beat harder and faster than it had been during the match. Instinctively, she slipped through the ropes and grabbed her hoodie, quickly pulling it on and flipping the hood over her head, partially obscuring her face.

"Ladies!" Punk called over, walking up alongside the ring. "I was watching your match, and I loved what I saw. Nice work, very nice work." He extended his hand to Kaitlyn. "I'm Phil, and this is my friend Colt."

Kaitlyn couldn't stop fiddling with her hair, and shook both of their hands. "I know who you guys are." She gushed. "I'm Kait, and this is..."

April poked her hard in the back.

"Ow!"

Suspicious now, Phil turned to the smaller girl. She had her hair covering most of her face, and wouldn't take the hoodie down. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"I'm, I'm _Jay_..." It was almost a whisper. "Sorry, but I really have to go!"

"Jay?" Kaitlyn turned to her buddy, but before she could say another word, April was scurrying away.

All three of them watched in bewilderment as the little sprite took off for the locker room, leaving Kaitlyn alone with both men as all three of them stared after her.

Colt knew it right away, but said nothing. He was sure Punk hadn't yet caught on. For some reason she was hiding, and he didn't want to out her until she was ready. He remembered how awful it had been.

Phil knew something strange was going on, he just didn't know what it was yet, and he was determined to find out.

"Why did she take off like that, I don't bite." He asked, confused as hell.

Behind his back Colt was now motioning for Kaitlyn not to say anything.

"Uh... I don't know. She's usually really friendly. I think I should go see what's up. It really was nice to meet you both." Kaitlyn smiled sweetly at them and hurriedly took off after her friend.

"What the hell was that all about?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure _you_ want to." Colt now felt bad for the cave man remarks he'd made in the stands. "Maybe we should head out now anyway Phil, grab a bite?"

Phil was still looking in the direction of the women's locker room, not satisfied with how that went down. "M-hmm..." He rubbed at his chin and pressed his lips together, thinking. He was sure he knew her from somewhere. That's when it hit him. "No fucking way... Colt..."

* * *

"AJ! I know it's you! Please, AJ!" He pounded at the door, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Gah!"

Passers by stared at him like he was a stark raving lunatic while Colt hung back, not sure what to do about it. Minutes passed and no one came to the door. Phil stood there, pacing back and forth in a small circle, his hands on his hips, nerves now shot.

"Come on buddy... maybe it's not her. You're mistaken man." Colt paced a well meaning hand on his shoulder. "If it is her, she'll let you know, okay? How long has it been now?"

"About thirteen years."

"You can wait a little while longer, dude. You need to calm down anyway. The way you just went crazy ass nuts would scare anyone else to death. Come on."

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

Downtrodden, both men turned and started down the hall when the door clicked open.

"Phil!"

He turned in an instant. There she was, hood down, dark hair pulled away from her face and tied into a messy ponytail. She was all grown up, and she was standing less than twenty feet away from him after all this time. Still dressed in her wrestling gear, she timidly twisted one leg behind the other, rocking a little back and forth, her hands shoved deep inside the pockets of her jacket. Her beautiful, sad eyes were glistening, tears threatening...

He started to walk towards her with purpose. She wasn't getting away from him this time. He had waited too long to find out what had happened to her, and here was his chance. He only got within three feet when she leapt up into him, a small sob escaping her as she wrapped her arms and legs around his body. He held her, swaying side to side and rubbing her back.

"I missed you s-so much..." She cried into his neck, holding onto him for dear life.

He closed his eyes and tucked her head under his chin, planting a long over due kiss on the top of her head. He could feel a painful lump creeping up into his throat. "I missed you too, Squirt. More than you realize."

* * *

**There ya go! Now I hand this little ditty off to my good buddy, White Firebird for the next installment! Hope you all enjoyed. =D**


	7. together again

**White Firebird here. Wow! The outpouring of feedback and response from the last chapter was amazing! We're both so glad that you all enjoy reading the story. It makes us feel great about the direction it's taking. And before I get into the story, make sure to check out the community created by Jean The Guardian, Punklee Nation! It's got all your favorite Punklee stories and is gonna be adding more soon. And on that note, enjoy the new chapter! =)**

* * *

_January, 2010..._

_"So who is the brave, fortunate one tonight, that wants to be saved? Who is the lucky individual that I will touch, and make their life complete?"_

AJ watched in relative silence on a monitor backstage as Phil went to work, espousing about the values of being straight edge, looking for all the world like he was the wrestling equivalent of the Lord and Savior himself, Jesus Christ, with his long, greasy looking black hair and his scraggly, unkempt beard, his tattoos signifying his purity, as she would hear him say during his promos. It had been a couple of months since they had been reunited down in Florida, after thirteen long, agonizing years apart. But due to their radically different schedules, with him being on the road almost five days a week, and her being down in FCW and rarely leaving the state, it was hard setting up a meeting where they could finally just talk.

It was a couple of weeks ago when she got the call from Mr. Laurinaitis at the apartment she shared with Kaitlyn that she was being invited to SmackDown as a special guest of Phil. It took all she could to not burst into screams of utter joy after she hung up, and Kaitlyn damn near lost hearing in both of her ears after listening to her rant and rave about how it was going to be so nice to be able to actually see him. She still couldn't believe that they had run into each other they way they did. It was as if fate simply intervened.

_"Serena, I'm going to ask you a question that these cowards can't ask themselves. Serena...are you an addict?"_

She watched Serena go through the motions of being inducted into the Straight Edge Society. She had always been friendly to her, but she had an underlying feeling that the newest member of the group didn't feel the same way towards her, for whatever reasons she had. When she let it slip that she had known Phil from her childhood, that he was her babysitter for a while, Serena was one of the first to laugh off the claim and act like it held no weight. But that was besides the point right now; she was happy for the fact that the now clean shaven girl was getting her chance on the big stage. Had Phil come to her with the proposition of shaving her hair off, she'd probably have done what every other girl had done, and said no. She valued her career very much, but she also valued hair quite a bit as well.

The show had gone to commercial when the segment wrapped up, Phil, Serena and Luke now coming through the curtain, where Phil immediately turned and walked straight over to where she was standing, scooping her up into a huge bear hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around in a circle to the sound of her giggles, while Luke and Serena watched on in amazement.

"Put me down, you big lug!", she squealed, unable to hide the huge smile that had spread across her lips as she held onto him for dear life, much like when they were reunited, never wanting to let him go again. "Phil! I mean it!"

A few seconds later, he acquiesced to her request, placing her back down on her feet, but not letting go of her, instead grabbing a gentle hold of her arms, so he could just look at her and marvel at how much she had grown since he last saw her thirteen years ago. "Oh, how you've changed, my little AJ", he whispered loud enough for her to hear. "My my my."

"I could say the same about you too, Phil", she whispered back, her hand absent-mindedly stroking his scruffy beard. "You look like...like..."

"Jesus? Yeah, I know. My Cubs hat is my crown of thorns and the x's on my hand are my nails. I'm such a sucker for religion, aren't I?", he said with a smirk, letting the grip go on her arms, only to have her hug him to the point where he damn near couldn't breathe. "AJ...sweetheart...I know it's been a long time...but you gotta...let me...breathe", he panted out as she let go, a bashful smile on her lips, her cheeks reddening.

"Sorry...it's just...I can't...I can't believe it", she whispered truthfully. Ever since that day when she was forced to move and left him behind, she had dreamt of a day where she could see him again, but as she grew older and watched as his career took off, she had that inkling of doubt within her mind and her heart that it wouldn't happen. But here they were, both of them thirteen years older and thirteen years wiser. Reaching to touch him, her fingers traced along one of the many tattoos on his right arm. "I remember when you had maybe, what, three tattoos?"

A grin crossed his lips as he chuckled. "Four. My knuckles, stomach, and both my deltoids", he murmured, flashing them all for her, not noticing how her cheeks flared up even more than before when he lifted his shirt to reveal his stomach. "I've obviously got a bit of work done everywhere else though, as you can see", he said, beginning to remove his wrist tape, looking behind him. "Hey Luke, come here for a second, I want you to meet someone."

Waving the tall, hulking man over, AJ couldn't help but stare as he lumbered over to them. She had seen him on TV many times and thought that he was a serious bad ass both in and out of the ring, but the smile he wore on his lips immediately put her at ease as he came to a stop next to Phil, placing his huge hand on Phil's shoulder.

"Luke, I want you to meet AJ. I used to babysit this little firecracker back when she was this tall", he said, bringing his hand down right next to his thigh.

"She's the one you were gushing about all this time?", Luke asked, taking in the sight of the tiny brunette. He hid his smile when he saw how she was looking at Phil; like she had stars in her eyes, like he was the only person here besides her. "Knew her when she was eight years old, huh?"

"Yep. And now look at her. It's funny how kids grow up these days", he said, grinning while she stuck her tongue out at him and gave him a light shove.

"It's nice to meet you, sweetheart. Phil here hasn't been able to shut up about you the last two weeks. When it's not about what town we're in or what we've got to do in the ring, it's been AJ this, AJ that...nearly had to throw him in a ditch a couple of days ago", he said, smirking, while Phil merely shrugged his shoulders.

AJ took Luke's massive hand in her tiny one and shook it, her heart soaring after hearing the big man's comments. _'Now I know how Kait felt these past two weeks'_, she thought to herself as she shyly looked at the two men in front of her. "I hope it was all good things he was saying about me", she said, rocking back and forth on her heels. "If he was trash talking me, I might have to whoop his butt like I did when I was a kid."

Luke began to laugh while Phil scowled, grabbing her by her wrist and pulling her into him so he could ruffle her hair and mess it up a bit, eliciting a laugh from her as well. Turning to face the big man, he motioned over to Serena, who was waiting on the two of them over by the curtain still. "You and Serena can head out. I've got a lot of catching up to do with shorty over here. I'll talk to you later, kay?", he said to his enforcer, who nodded his head.

Taking off his skull cap to reveal his bald head, he bowed and extended his hand to her once more for her to shake, which she did. "Nice meeting you, AJ. Don't kick his ass too hard, alright? We need him in one piece for San Fran tomorrow."

She smiled up at the friendly giant. "I can't make any promises."

Watching Phil and AJ walk away and Luke walk towards her, Serena rolled her eyes at the whole thing. "I assume they're off to go play dolls and have a tea party?", she asked Luke sarcastically as he stood next to her. "To think, I thought the little runt was making the whole damn thing up."

All Luke could do was roll his eyes at her comments. The jealousy that was laced throughout them was as plain as the sky was blue. "Let them go and catch up. They've been apart for thirteen years, I think that's what he told me. They deserve a little time to talk and see how they've been."

"Yeah, _whatever_", she commented crudely, as they began to walk back to the locker room. "I don't see what he sees in her. She's a child."

"Whatever, Serena. Just let it be."

* * *

AJ sat silently in Phil's dressing room, the sounds of the shower running filling the air. He had told her he wouldn't be long, but after glancing at her phone, he had been in there for a good fifteen minutes, she mused to herself, grinning. He must've really liked taking care of his hair and his beard, because no other guy she had known before went longer than five minutes in the shower, tops. But Phil...he was different than most people. She knew this for a fact.

Hearing the water shut off, she lifted her head and immediately caught the sight of Phil walking around with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, the water dripping from every facet of his toned, muscular and tattooed body. Her eyes damn near bugged out of her head as he flashed her a smile, bending over to grab a shirt from his bag. "Sorry for the peep show, I'll be decent enough for your virgin eyes in a moment", he said, grinning from ear to ear, this time noticing the blush that spread across your cheeks. "Make yourself at home."

Watching him disappear back into the bathroom, AJ looked around at the room, amazed at how huge it was. It was easily the size of half of hers and Kaitlyn's apartment, and leaps and bounds bigger than the small locker room (she used those two words _very_ loosely) they afforded the girls down in FCW. _'Must be nice to be a top guy'_, she whispered, though there was no malice or jealousy behind her words. She was genuinely happy at the fact that Phil was living his dream on the big, bright stage of the WWE. She, on the other hand, was just lucky enough that she was at least given a shot to try and make it here. It's what she had been working for her whole life.

She looked and saw him exiting the bathroom again, this time fully clothed in a pair of basketball shorts and a Misfits shirt. He had a goofy looking grin on his lips as he stared at her, sitting down across from her, his hand stroking his beard. She noticed this and tried her best to hide the school girl-like smile that she was wearing now. He used to do this when he would babysit her, just look at her like this. "Penny for your thoughts, Phil?", she asked.

"I'm just...still having a bit of a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that, you've changed...you've grown so much. The last time I saw you, you know, before October..."

"I was waving goodbye to you from the back of my mom's car, with tears streaming down my face", she said, solemnly. She couldn't look him in the face when she said the words, it was still too hard for her to relive and think about. "I thought I had lost you forever on that day", she whispered, her eyes looking at a spot on the floor, swallowing the lump that was beginning to form in her throat.

"I thought I lost you too, shorty", he said, also not managing to look at her as the words came out. But he then raised his gaze to her, and a smile crept across his lips. "But I guess we were both wrong on that one, weren't we?"

Looking up at him, she matched his smile with one of her own while nodding her head. "Gosh...you keep saying over and over how much I've changed...but look at you! You were so scrawny and you had such a baby face, and your hair was blonde and you had no tattoos..."

"We've both changed a whole lot, that much we know", he said, standing up and bringing his chair closer to where she was sitting. He placed his hand on her knee, and she suddenly felt her entire body tingle at his mere touch, her insides swelling with giddiness. It felt good to be so close to him after being so far apart for so long. "You know, not a day went by these last thirteen years that I didn't think about what you were up to, what you were doing with yourself, where you were, what your mom was doing..."

"You did not", she commented, flicking his hand away, grinning. "There's no way you spent every day for the last thirteen years wondering about all of those things", she said, knowing damn well that she had done that exact thing all this time. But he didn't need to know that...at least not yet.

"I was a complete mess the first three, four months you were gone. I felt like a broken hearted peacock who had just lost his best friend, the way I fluttered around during those few months. My sisters were ready to kill me, but they knew how hard it was on me", he commented, his sleep-deprived eyes blinking rapidly, like he was trying to force back a tear. "Colt was there when he could be, too."

The mention of his best friend's name caused her to perk up a little bit. "Oh, Colt! How is he? I know I didn't really get the chance to talk to him before..."

"He's doing great! I actually talked to him the other day, he says he can't wait to talk to you again soon. He wrestled here for a while last year...but he couldn't stand it, so he asked for his release, and now he's back on the indies. But yeah, he's doing great. I'm sure he'd love to hear from you."

"Well if you talk to him again soon, tell him I miss him and his ability to always make me laugh", she said, flicking away a strand of her dark brown hair. Remembering his previous words, a sympathetic look graced her features. "What you said before though...", she started off slowly, trying to find words best suited for a touchy subject like this. "Were you really that broken up over me moving?"

Rubbing her knee, he lowered his head so that his hair concealed his face, nodding in response. "Yeah, I really was. It was hard, you know? You spend nearly two years of your life watching over someone, getting to know them, letting them in and showing them the real you...and then it all just gets ripped away from you in the blink of an eye. It took me a long, long time to get over it."

AJ felt a tear threatening to form on her eyelid, so she quickly swiped it away with her finger, but the sadness that was hanging over the two of them like a cloud wasn't going away anytime soon. Her heart went out to Phil, it really did; she could only begin to imagine what it must've been like for him. She too was a complete wreck after it happened...except unlike him, she never got over it. Even now, right now, with him right here in front of her, his hand on her knee, looking like Jesus Christ, she still wasn't over the fact that the only person that wasn't her mother that had paid attention to her, never forgot about her, and loved her was taken from her so cruelly, so harshly and so unbelievably. She would never get over it, despite the fact that he was now back in her life in some capacity. All those years lost had to be made up. She just didn't know how.

Lightly shaking her head, she put her best smile on as she placed her hand on top of his. "You were always such a softy at heart, Phil. I'm glad that hasn't changed about you."

He returned the smile, brushing his hair to the side to look her in the eye. "Not much has, whether you want to believe that or not. Other than how I look, I mean. I'm still the same on the inside."

"I'll be the judge of that", she said, tucking her hair behind her ear, grinning at him. "We've got a lot of catching up to do, that's for sure."

An unsure look spread across his face. "Our schedules are so drastically different, though. I mean...other than tonight, what chance will we really have to catch up on everything? Thirteen years is a long time, and that's a lot to catch up on..."

Grabbing a pen and paper out of her bag, she scribbled something down on it, then grabbed Phil's hand and thrust the paper into his palm. "That's the number of mine and Kaitlyn's apartment on top, and that's my cell on the bottom. This way, you can call me whenever you like", she said, rubbing his knee before standing up, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Would you mind taking me back to my hotel room, Phil?"

He groaned, looking down at the numbers as he stood up and grabbed his bags. "You know, I never really liked speaking to anyone over the phone. But for you, short stuff, I'll make the exception", he murmured, extending his free arm out for her to take as they walked. "Shall we?"

She gladly accepted his arm, looping hers with his, as they walked down the halls and to the parking lot, where his rental awaited them. Ten minutes later, they pulled up to the hotel where the talent was staying at. Walking through the front doors and into the elevator, up to the floor with her room, he walked her down the hall and stopped right outside her door, releasing his arm from hers as they stared into each other's eyes one last time.

"Thank you so much for everything tonight, Phil. Taking care of my flights and my room, even though you didn't need to at all...I really appreciate the gesture", she said, sighing contentedly.

"AJ, girl, please, don't think anything of it. Anything to be able to see you again", he said, waving her off, his smile never fading.

"I know we didn't get the chance to talk much at all, but...still. You have no idea how much this meant to me. Call me when you can, and we'll talk all night if we have to. I..I missed you so much", she said, her voice breaking, brushing her eyes with the back of her hand to prevent tears from falling.

Putting his bags down, he pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. Her arms were tied around his neck as she stood on her toes to match his height, and he had her head tucked under his chin as he rubbed her back. "I know. I missed you too, AJ. But we're together again. And nothing this time will keep us apart. I'll call you as soon as I land in San Fran tomorrow, alright?", he reassured her, releasing himself from her grip.

She nodded her head in understanding, then got on her toes once more to give him a peck on the cheek. "I'll talk to you tomorrow then. Thank you again for everything, Phil. Good night."

"Good night, my little AJ", he whispered, watching her enter her room, closing the door behind her.

Once on the other side of the door, AJ let out a sigh, as she reached under her shirt and pulled the necklace that had given her on her ninth birthday. Her Harley Quinn necklace. She had kept her word to him all those years ago, having never taken it off and never forgotten about it. An excited smile spread across her lips.

He was right. Nothing was going to keep her from her Phil this time. She was going to make sure of it.

* * *

**And that's it. We love hearing from all of you. Now, I hand this sucker off to Red Foxy for chapter eight. Hope you all enjoy! =)**


	8. a matter of trust

**Here we go again! Red Fox here with another installment. We have decided to incorporate a reader's idea about an all Diva's NXT, and Punk being AJ's pro instead of Primo. Great idea, and I would name you if I knew who gave it. =D Thank you for all the follows, reviews and comments! We both enjoy reading them all. XD  
**

* * *

"An all Diva's NXT is gonna be the bomb if they decide to go in that direction. The Diva's division sorely needs a helping hand." Eve explained as she tried her hair up.

"I would love to see an all Diva's NXT too. I'd probably do better there than here." Serena huffed, still upset that AJ was taking up all of Phil's free time. "I need a pro, though. Then pip squeak wouldn't stand a chance against me. In the ring or anywhere else..."

"I still can't believe Punk agreed to be her pro... it's like they can pick up where they left off." Eve started to say, really liking the idea. It was completely romantic to her. AJ had been doing so well so far, and to have Punk as her mentor would be a great story line indeed. "Think about it Serena, their _actual_ back story is better than anything creative has come up with in ages. They're going to be the company's next long lost lovers, or something like that."

"Do you really believe for one moment that he genuinely cares about her? He's just being nice and putting up with her." Serena whined to Eve, knowing full well AJ was just in the other room, and well within earshot. "He thinks she's nothing more than a child, honey. It's almost embarrassing to watch how she fawns all over him. I can't wait to see his reaction to them being called long lost lovers."

"That's a little cruel, don't you think, Serena? I mean this is the same Phillip Brooks we're talking about here. He doesn't pretend with anyone."

Serena just smirked while she got changed out of her ring gear for the night. "If that little girl thinks she has a snowflake's chance in hell with him, she's seriously delusional."

Eve wasn't sure she even wanted to continue this conversation. She liked AJ, and she was good friends with Phil. He didn't have a phony bone in his body as far as she was concerned. He spoke his mind, and he was honest as the day was long. If he had a problem with you, you knew it. Pretending to put up with AJ when she was an old friend made no sense in her mind at all. He just wouldn't bother with it if the garbage Serena was spewing was based even loosely on the truth. She had been around long enough to know a jealous woman when she saw one. This only made her worry for poor little AJ even more. Serena was almost as new here as she was, but young AJ was still so very naive. Truthfully, she was lucky to have Phil standing behind her to keep wolves like Serena at bay.

"For what it's worth, I think you're wrong, Serena. He's just not like that, and if you don't know that by now, you clearly don't know anything about him at all." She hesitated, and a knowing little grin crawled across her beautiful caramel features. "Don't get caught, Serena, spreading this shit around. If Phil hears about it and catches you, you're finished."

Eve picked up her bags and left. Serena's smirk faded into a scowl as she stalked from the room herself.

AJ finally emerged from her hiding spot, arms protectively wrapped around herself like a cocoon. Eve was right, wasn't she? Phil loved her. Maybe not in the same way she totally adored and loved him, but he still loved her. _He did_. He did love her. She was sure he did. Didn't he? She knew one day he would love her like the woman she had become, and not the child she had been in the past. Serena's truculent words played tricks on her mind throughout the rest of the night while she waited backstage for Phil to finish up his segments. It was taking way too long...

* * *

"Hey AJ!" Luke walked in, his smile large and easy going. "Phil should be along soon."

"Thanks Luke."

"Hey, why the long face?" He tilted his bald head to the side in comical fashion, tying to get her to laugh. "You all right? I thought you were enjoying being Phil's guest tonight."

AJ shuffled her feet a little, uncomfortable and unwilling to start a war over Serena. "I don't think Serena likes me much."

"OH, I see. Well, if it's any consolation at all, I don't think she likes herself much, either. People like that think they need to blow out other people's candles to make theirs shine brighter. She's lost, AJ, and you needn't worry about her. Your candle will always burn bright."

April smiled. "I know... thanks Luke, you're a sweetheart."

"Ah... yes, I know." He grinned, and gave her a hug. "I hope you're enjoying your last few days off with us. I know I've appreciated getting to know you better over the past little while."

"Are you all set to get the hell out of here?" Phil asked as he strode into the locker room. He was winded still, but his mood was high and he was getting three days off. The best part? He and April could finally spend some uninterrupted time together. Their schedules were for once, in sync.

April's eyes fell to him. His light brown hair had come back in quite nicely now, and he'd finally shaved that live animal from his face... mostly. To her, he looked one hundred percent better than after Big Show had first shaved his head. He looked more like himself. The man she remembered. Her man.

"I think so, are we all riding together?" She asked, first looking to Phil, and then to Luke.

"No, Serena and I have our own rental." Luke spoke up, and slung his bag over his shoulder. "I'll catch you two in the next Hamlet!"

"Drive safely, there's a thunderstorm warning tonight for the entire state." Phil reminded Luke as he waved him off. "That means we have to be extra careful too, Shorty."

* * *

They started out towards the parking lot, his and AJ's bags slung over his shoulder. They were almost out the doors when Phil stopped in his tracks, an aggravated groan escaping him.

"What's the matter?"

"I think I left my phone back in the locker room. Wait here, I'll only be a minute."

She nodded as he disappeared down the long, curling hallway, and turned to look outside. It was truly a miserable night. It was darker than usual, and she noticed his was the only car left in the lot, a good fifty feet from the door. They were going to get very, very wet...

"Well, well, well... if it isn't little AJ!"

She recognized the British lilt in that voice.

Turning slowly around, she came face to chest with Nexus leader, Wade Barrett. He purposefully stepped right into her personal space, leaving a mere inch or two between them. Immediately uncomfortable, AJ backed up into the glass doors.

"I cannot believe your minder has left you all alone like this, dear." He glanced from side to side, making sure Phil was nowhere to be seen. "I've been watching you, and I think you'd look great on my arm at the local watering hole tonight. What do you say? Fancy a go with a real man?"

"Uh, thanks, but n-no thanks. I, I was just leaving." She stammered. The man towered over her, and when she declined his offer, he leaned in, trapping her. "W-Wade... really, I'm n-not interested in going anywhere with you."

He smirked, knowing full well he was scaring her. Her fractured voice was like music to his ears. He hated Punk, and what better way to get to him than through his little piece of jail bait. He lifted his large hand to her face, skimming the back of his fingers along her cheek bone.

"Why not? I'd be a huge step up from Punk..."

AJ couldn't get over his superciliously indulgent manner or his condescending words. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and have him disappear.

"Please... j-just leave me alone." She begged him, turning her head to the side as he bent over to get even closer.

"Aw... come on doll." He he whispered, his hot breath against her ear. She cringed. "You can't tell me you aren't the least bit curious what a night with me would be like?"

He loved how scared she looked, and how she desperately tried to avoid his intimidating gaze.

"Wade, shouldn't you be off playing pocket pool with yourself? It's not like any woman in her right mind would want to play with you. Well, unless you were paying them. Even then, I dunno..."

_Phil... thank god_...

Wade whipped himself around, both of his fists in a tight ball. "You have an uncanny knack for interrupting me as of late, Punk. Do you have a death wish?"

Phil steeled himself and stepped up, ready for anything. He quickly looked to April, his worried eyes asking... she nodded at him, letting him know she was okay.

"I think you really _need_ to step away from April..."

Wade did just that, stepping towards Punk instead.

"I had no idea you were so possessive over the little bitch, Punk. She must be something else n the sack."

For April's sake, he didn't react to Wade's crude comments, and just waited to see what the Nexus leader might do next.

Wade snapped his neck back and forth, cracking it up both sides, grinning gleefully at the thought of pounding Punk into the concrete. Both men threateningly circled one another, their eyes locked together ready to fight.

"Come on, g-guys... let's just all go." April tried to reason, but she didn't get any response.

Without warning, Wade rushed Phil and they both went sailing to the floor.

AJ screamed out Punk's name and almost dove into the melee, thinking better of it as she watched both men now rolling around on the ground, fists flying.

"Stop! Stop it...please!" She cried out, staying just out of harm's way.

Wade managed to get the upper hand as he clipped Phil in the chest, the force cracking the back of his head against the concrete floor.

That's when AJ did something she never thought she would ever do again... it was like a flashback to when she saw Phil lying in the ring not moving all those years ago. Her stomach burned and she had fire in her eyes. She literally snapped. No one was gonna hurt him and get away with it. Not while she still had breath in her body...

Wade happily continued to pound against Punk's head when he felt something unbelievable...

She was suspended from his neck across his back, swinging to and fro. Scratching and clawing at first, her little arms tightening as best as they could.

Was little AJ trying to choke _him_ out?

"What the hell!" Wade cursed and stumbled away from Phil, trying to pull the little hellion off of his shoulders. "Get the fuck off me you crazy little witch!"

She still hung on, unwilling to let up until Phil had a chance to give his head a shake. Wade struggled to remove her, but she held fast, no chance of letting go. AJ pulled in as hard as she could , but she could only hang on so long. Wade dug his hands in between her arms and his neck, finally breaking her grip on him as she fell mercilessly to the floor with a yelp. Rubbing at his tender throat, he turned to look at her, only to get the bottom of Punk's boot in his face instead.

"What the hell was that?" Phil demanded to know, rubbing at the back of his sore head. "You could have gotten seriously hurt, April!"

"But I didn't! You needed me and I wasn't gonna sit there and let him hurt you!" She vehemently protested, standing on her tippy toes so she could meet him eye to eye.

"Hurt me?" He was aghast, throwing both hands behind his head and then raking them over his face in utter exasperation . "I was doing fine!"

"Sure you were... I heard the crack when your head hit the floor, Phil! You didn't bounce back up, I had to react!"

Wade started to groan behind them, causing both to stop their bickering and take notice.

"We'll talk about this later. Right now we need to get out of here before he realizes where he is again!" Phil unceremoniously grabbed her by the arm and yanked her from one storm out into another.

* * *

"Hurry Phil, I'm soaking!" She yelled out over the sheeting rain. Thunder was rolling in the distance now, and lightning flashed over head. "Hurry!"

"I'm trying, it... I, here we go!"

Phil fumbled with the keys for what felt like forever before she heard the lock click.

She swung open her door and literally fell into the car, Phil doing much the same on the other side. Once inside they met in the middle of the bench seat, very nearly colliding with one another. Both were suddenly quiet for a moment, their noses almost touching, rain water dripping from every angle of their wet skin. Her hair was pasted to her face and neck, and their clothes now clung shamelessly to their bodies. They were still breathing heavily, partly from the sprint to the car, partly from the altercation with Wade. That's when he noticed April start to shiver.

"Are you cold?" He asked in a low, hoarse voice, his expression changing in an instant at the thought of her being even the slightest bit uncomfortable."You aren't getting sick, are you?"

"N-no. Are you still made at me?"

"No. You just... you just drive me crazy, April." He could not believe he felt so breathless.

She felt herself tremble, but she knew it wasn't from being cold. In all the time she had spent with him in intimate settings, none ever felt like this. He was so close, and she could feel the heat emanating from his well muscled body. She was sure she could hear his heart thudding against his ribs, and watched as his heavy lidded eyes roamed across her face. Her chest heaved noticeably, and she caught those grey green eyes glancing down once or twice. She knew her bra was showing through the wet material. Why oh why did she have to wear a light coloured top with a dark bra?

He opened his mouth again to speak, but nothing was said. It was as if he were in a trance-like state, and she was the object by which his conscious mind had been captured. He watched as she bit nervously at her lower lip, and he swallowed hard, not believing what she had managed to stir inside him in less than thirty seconds. What the fuck was happening to him?

It was like he was on auto pilot. He was there, but he didn't know what he was doing. Reaching over, he let his fingers lightly push the dark hair away from her eyes and he tried tucking one side behind her ear. Instead of pulling back, he allowed his hand to linger, barely skimming the surface of her smooth, tanned cheek, drawing her face closer to his. _My god, did she always smell this good?_

She willingly leaned into him, her mouth open slightly as she licked her lips in anticipation of finally knowing how his kiss would feel. Her insides were jumping and she could feel her body tremble even more. Her hand climbed up his arm, finding a resting place up on his shoulder now. She closed her eyes, and slightly tilting her head one way as he went in the opposite direction, their lips met for the very first time.

She was timid and soft, and he cupped her face in his hands as he thoughtfully lowered his mouth over hers. Gently, he tasted her, once, twice... small, innocent kisses designed to ease any left over pent up anxiety. He wanted her to trust him, and feeling her nervous tremors diminish she started to ardently kiss him back.

When she slid her hand along his thigh and right into his groin, he damned near choked.

"What?" She asked him, not understanding why he stopped so suddenly.

The look of shame was evident and laced across his regretful face. "_Oh good Lord_..." His voice tweaked up and he was having trouble catching his breath. "We...we can't do... _fuck_!"

He stole a quick glance over, and was immediately sorry he had. She looked terrified of him.

"D-did I do something wrong?" She haltingly asked in a hushed voice.

He almost couldn't hear her over the rain and thunder outside. Her face fell and he could see her heart break right in front of him. She was crying. What had he done?

"No, sweetheart, no!" Instinctively he pulled her into hug, gently rubbing her back. "You did nothing wrong, okay? It's just that we..." He released a long suffering sigh.

This was going to be a very long drive...

* * *

It had been bad enough having to deal with the fall out of kissing April, now he had to defend her from Serena? After the conversation he'd had with Eve, he was not a happy camper, and he was out for blood.

"Serena, I need to speak with you."

She turned to find Punk fast approaching, and he did not look happy. She felt her stomach sink just a little when she caught his angry green eyes.

"What's up Phil?

He got within inches of her, backing her into the wall with his large, daunting form without even touching her. "Who in the fuck do you think you are, anyway?"

"Pardon me?" She stood up straight, but that didn't come close to levelling out anything. "What's the matter with you?"

He placed his hands on his hips and leaned in close. He wanted to make sure she got this message,_ loud and clear_. "Since when are you an authority on what I'm thinking or feeling?"

"If this has anything to do with..."

"It has everything to do with it! How dare you insinuate that I don't care about April? Where _do_ you get off?"

"It's a fact, isn't it?" She stood her ground, unwilling to allow him to intimidate her. "You cannot tell me you're happy that she follows you around like a little puppy. Phil, it's laughable... surely you can see she's completely love sick, and you're just letting it get out of control!"

He stared at her incredulously. "Serena, you go too far. Who I spend my time with outside of work is none of your god damned business, let alone why! April is off limits, do you hear me?"

"Eve has such a big fucking mouth..."

He cut her off. "Don't blame Eve for your misguided bull shit. I know you well enough to be aware that you don't say anything without a purpose, Serena." He glanced his fingers off the side of her cheek, thoughtfully sweeping them down to rest at her throat. "If April ever hears any of this crap you regurgitate, I'll see to it you're gone."

"Don't you _dare_ threaten me, Phil! Just because you have some twisted soft spot for that child, doesn't mean..."

"I _love_ that girl. How I feel about her is _not_ twisted. She's _my_ family. Don't _ever_ cross that line again. Do you understand this time?" His eyes burned a hole through her, and he could see he was making her clearly uncomfortable. He watched as she averted her eyes. "Don't make me come to you with this again."


	9. we've changed

**Heeeyyy everybody! White Firebird here with the latest chapter. We're building towards NXT Season 3, and we can't wait for you all to see what we've got in store. As always, me and Red Foxy love reading all the reviews, and we love the follows and comments as well. They mean the world to us! And as for what happened on Raw...I was upset beyond belief. John Boy is not who AJ belongs with. The only redeeming thing...365! One whole year (on my birthday no less! Talk about an awesome gift xD) our conquering hero has been WWE Champion. He truly is the best in the world. Respect. Enjoy the chapter everyone!**

* * *

"You two **kissed!?**"

AJ winced at the sheer loudness of Kaitlyn's voice. They were sitting across from each other on her bed, going over what they were going to wear for tonight. It was girls night out with everyone from FCW, and Eve and Natalya would be joining them as well. Kaitlyn had been pestering her about how her long weekend was with Punk and the rest of the Straight Edge Society, but she had been fairly tight lipped about it. That is, until...

"It wasn't anything serious, Kait, really..."

"Like _hell_ it's wasn't!", the two toned Diva in training shot back. "You've been dreaming of doing that for years!"

"I wouldn't say _years_, Kait..."

"You showed me your diary. You've been dreaming of it since you were eleven."

Her eyes grew a little wide, before they drifted over to said diary on the bedside table. She had been writing in that thing since she was ten years old. A year after she and Phil were separated...

"It doesn't matter anymore, Kait. I haven't spoken to him since. I spent the rest of the weekend hiding from him and spending it with Luke."

"Why would you hide from him!? Did you at least talk to Luke about it!?"

"No...not exactly...I mean, I didn't tell him all the details..."

She watched her best friend shake her head in a disapproving manner, muttering something to the effect of _'What am I going to do with you'_ under her breath, getting up off the bed and walking over to the closet. "You realize how awkward this is going to make tonight, right?"

AJ shifted uncomfortably around on the bed, still sitting cross legged and now wrapping her arms around her body protectively. "I know, I know...but the place we're going to is big enough that I can disappear or just talk to Colt or Luke the entire time..."

"And all you're saying is that your hand grazed up near his junk and he freaked?", Kaitlyn asked, holding out a little purple number that would leave little to the imagination.

"I didn't even realize my hand had gone there till he got spooked. It was like he was almost ashamed of the fact that he kissed me...", she said quietly, trailing off, remembering the look in Phil's eyes. It was something that would be burned into her memory for some time. He just looked so...mortified. It hurt her far more than Serena's words ever could. Speaking of her...

"Serena's not coming with us, is she?", she asked timidly, quickly noticing how Kaitlyn stiffened at the question, then smacked herself in the forehead. That answered that question.

"I completely forgot forgot about what she said and asked anyways...I'm sorry, girl", she said, turning around with a sympathetic look on her face. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

She shrugged and forced a smile for her best friend. "Of course not, Kait, I could never be mad at you. I'll just make the best of it, no worries."

Kaitlyn tilted her head to the side, a smile on her full lips as she walked back over and wrapped her tiny body up in a warm embrace. "I should be pestering you more about this, but as your best friend, I will give you your space. But you know that if you ever want to talk about it, I'm all ears chickie", she said with a giggle.

"Thanks, girl. Chickbusters for life", she said, leaning back, doing their fist bumping routine.

"Hell yeah", Kaitlyn commented back.

* * *

"You're a fucking dumbass."

Raking his hand across his face, Phil did his best to try and drown out Colt's voice as he rambled on about how stupid he was and how he wasn't a man at all, et cetera, et cetera, as it was driving him to his wits end. Looking to Luke, the bald headed colossus shrugged his shoulders, as if to say that he was on his own with this one. He hadn't told Phil that AJ had spent the rest of the weekend tucked away in his hotel room, purposely hiding from him. For all Phil knew, she had left to go back to Florida after what had happened after they shared their kiss together. He didn't need to know she chose to hide from him. It'd probably just upset him more.

"For the one millionth time, I'm painfully aware of this fact. Can we please change the subject now?", Phil pleaded, throwing his hands up into the air in frustration. He hadn't slept at all the past few days, either staying up thinking about how utterly stupid he was for breaking poor April's heart in half, or having to deal with Serena's endless droning on about how she was going to win NXT when the all Diva's edition got the green light. Thankfully, after his warnings to her, she kept April's name out of her mouth. It still didn't keep the swirling emotions in his head and heart from consuming him, though.

"Yeah, we can talk about how much of a bitch you are", Colt scoffed, grabbing his watch, sliding it onto his wrist. "I mean, _honestly_ Punk, what the hell were you thinking? Oh that's right, you weren't. God, you're such a **bitch.**"

"Luke?", Phil offered up, once more glancing toward his bald headed friend. "Anything you want to say or call me that Colt here hasn't already?", he asked almost sarcastically.

"It's really none of my business..."

"Thank you! See Colt! It's none of-"

"...but even I have to wonder what was going through your head when you pulled back from AJ the way you did", the enforcer of the Straight Edge Society finished with, while Colt shot his best friend a triumphant smirk. "I mean, she's a sweet girl...I don't know why you would do that."

"Listen, I screwed up and I'm living with that fact, alright. It's bad enough that I'm going to this stupid club with her tonight, I don't need any more crap or grief from you two", he said, rubbing the back of his neck, exhaling a sigh.

Looking at the calendar, it was now Thursday, which meant it had been almost a week since the kiss had happened, and he felt like the biggest jerk in the entire world. She looked so heartbroken, so afraid of him, and he never wanted her to feel that way when it came to him, ever. But he just...he couldn't give her what she had wanted right then and there. He didn't even know if he could. He still had a hard time struggling with the fact that she was now a young, beautiful woman, and not the child he had always known her as before they re-entered each other's lives. She was now twenty three, a far cry from when he knew her as a nine year old little girl back in Chicago, and when her hand had slid towards his groin, whether it was intentional or the heat of the moment, it made him feel...dirty. And he didn't even think that dirty was the right word.

And now, more than anything, he wanted to kick Colt's teeth down his throat for ever agreeing to going with the girls to the club tonight. It was Kaitlyn, AJ's roommate, who called and asked if they'd be interested in going, basically so that the girls wouldn't get hit on by any creepsters or douchebags. But before he could say no, Colt snatched the phone from him, locked himself in the bathroom and happily agreed to it. As if things hadn't been awkward _enough_...

"What the hell do you expect me to do while we're there?", he asked frustratingly. "I don't drink and I don't dance, and you know damn well that I'm not for the whole club scene."

Colt looked at Phil like he had just asked the dumbest question in the history of humanity, while Luke chuckled to himself as he watched the two best friends banter. "I would expect you to talk to AJ, but we all know your idiotic self won't do it, so I don't know, Punk. You claim to be a smart guy, figure it out yourself."

Rolling his eyes and cursing under his breath, Phil turned to Luke, who held his hands up like he wanted nothing to do with it. "Listen man, you're a great friend and AJ's a joy to be around, but this is on you. Just talk to her. Where's the harm in that?"

Muttering some choice words under his breath about how the two men in the room with him were both douchebags, he sat up and grabbed his phone, exiting the room and walking downstairs into the basement, before he brought up his contacts, hitting the call button. The phone rang for a few seconds before the other end answered. "Eve? Yeah, it's Phil. I need to talk to you about something..."

* * *

The music was already beginning to drive him crazy and the entire lot of them had only arrived fifteen minutes ago. Phil sat at the rather large booth they had all claimed for themselves, by himself, watching Colt trying to mack it with some blonde and Luke chat it up with the bartender while the girls were all out on the dance floor. The car ride there was probably the most awkward fifteen minutes of his life, as everyone made AJ sit up front next to him while they all piled into the back seats. Neither of them said anything. He wanted to crawl out of his skin if he could.

Sipping on his Pepsi, he felt the table grow heavy one person, and turned his head to see Natalya taking up residence with him. He had always liked Nattie. She was one of his favorites and she came from wrestling royalty, the only female to ever graduate from the legendary Hart Dungeon. He had nothing but respect and admiration for her. "What's up, Calgary?", he asked her.

"Nothing much Chicago, just needed to check my phone for something", she replied back with, taking said phone from Phil's hand as he gave it to her. "You gonna be sitting here all night, I assume?"

He nodded his head, shrugging his shoulders as well. "You know I can't dance to save my life. I'm just here to make sure you girls are alright out there, nothing more, nothing less."

The blonde haired beauty raised her eyebrow at him suspiciously. "You're not here to talk to AJ?"

Snapping his gaze to her, Phil sighed inwardly. Someone else knew about his dirty laundry. **Great.** He was never going to escape it at this rate. "If it's all the same with you, Nat, I'd rather not talk about it right now", he said loud enough for her to hear over the ear-splitting music. "It's bad enough you assholes made her sit next to me when I was driving here, so the least y'all could do is let it be."

Nattie shook her head, a small grin playing at her lips. What she was about to say next was either going to blow up in her face or have the intended effect she wanted it to have. "All right Phil, I get that you don't want to talk about what happened with AJ and talk about your feelings in regards to her...but how you feel may not mean much considering what I saw a few minutes ago."

Like clockwork, Phil's head turned on a swivel, lips pursed together and fire in his dark green eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

A coy smile spread across Nattie's lips. "I saw her and a cute looking guy getting very, very cozy together on the dance floor...but I'm sure it's nothing, right? It probably is nothing", she said, handing her phone back to him. "Well, I'm gonna head back out, Phil, I'll talk to you later. Don't enjoy yourself too much", she added with a wink.

Watching Nattie disappear into the crowd is when he saw what she was talking about; AJ had her arms around some greasy, slimy looking creep, his hands sliding down dangerously close to her hips. His demeanor grew dark as he watched it all unfold.

**Nobody** touched his little AJ like that.

* * *

"Why is Punk looking at us like he wants to go and commit mass homicide?"

AJ heard Kaitlyn's question and glanced over her shoulder, catching the murderous look in Phil's eyes, immediately feeling a seed of guilt forming in the pit of her stomach. He had to have seen her dancing with that guy, Rick was his name she thought, she didn't really know. After all that had happened, she just needed a release, and to her, dancing was an outlet for it. Colt, Kaitlyn and the rest of the gals had conned her into sitting in the front seat, next to Phil, and the entire drive here, she wished he would've said something, anything to her, but he kept quiet and focussed on the road. And now here she was, dancing all over the place with some guy she didn't even know, right in plain sight of Phil, without any regard for his feelings. Suddenly, she didn't feel much like dancing anymore.

She looked to Kaitlyn, Eve, Aksana and Nattie, all of whom were either drunk or well on their way to sweetly being so, and watched them enjoy themselves, the rest of the FCW girls scattered around the club. She spotted Luke sitting at the bar, still chatting up the pretty bartender, and saw Colt doing his best Boogie Knights impersonation, which made her smile a little; he always knew how to make her do so, even when he wasn't anywhere near her. She tugged on Kaitlyn's dress to try and get her attention.

"He probably wants to kill that guy I was dancing with", she answered back. "Or kill me. Or kill us both, knowing him..."

Kaitlyn slung her arm around AJ's shoulders and gave her best friend a drunk smile. "I know I said I'd stay outta your business, but girl, just go talk to that old grouchy bastard! He's _obviouslyyyyy_ waiting for ya to do so!"

She looked from Kaitlyn back to the table, where Phil was sitting. He was pre-occupied with something on his phone. "You think so?", she asked. "I mean, what if he doesn't want to talk to me, and things get more awkward, or he hates me now...", she said, fearing that scenario. She didn't know what she'd do with herself if Phil ever hated her.

The two toned Diva in training nudged her best friend in the direction of Phil, waving her off. "Talk to him, gurrrrl! I'll be just fine here on the flooooor! **Goooo!**"

Getting shoved now, AJ shot her drunk best friend a death glare before fixing herself and taking a deep breath. What did she have to lose by talking to Phil? Maybe by now he had cooled off. Maybe.

Bowing her head for a moment, she bent down to quickly re-tie her Converse, and when she stood back up, she found herself face to chest with the man she had been dancing with earlier. Backing away from him to give herself some space, AJ looked up at him and saw a hungry look in his eyes. She instantly didn't like where this was going.

"Hey little lady, where ya going? Ready for another round?", he asked, inching closer to her, two drinks in his hands, his breath absolutely reeking of hard liquor. "Here, drink this. It'll loosen you up a little", he said, offering her one of the drinks, damn near thrusting it in her face.

"No thank you, I don't really drink", she said timidly, pushing his arm down. "You said your name was Rick, right? Well, I need to take a breather, Rick, so if you'll excuse me", she said as nicely as she could, but he wouldn't budge. Quickly checking her surroundings, she didn't see Kaitlyn or any of the girls in sight, and from what she could tell, Luke and Colt were still tied up and Phil wasn't sitting at the table anymore. "Please...I j-just need to grab my phone f-from my friend..."

"Aw, come on baby, you don't wanna shake that ass for me once more?", Rick asked, making AJ more uncomfortable with each passing second. He downed his drink with ease as he inched forward, now invading her personal space. "I know how you Puerto Rican girls are...come on, show me everything you got."

"I believe the lady said **no.**"

Perking up at the sound of Phil's voice, AJ stepped back as Phil spun the guy around to face him. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm the guy whose cutting you off. _Leave her alone_", Phil said sternly, his eyes locked on his prey, fists tightly wound together in case things got out of hand like they did with Wade last week.

Rick looked unimpressed as he stifled a sarcastic chuckle. "Why don't you get bent and leave me and my lady friend alone, mmkay? We were just about to get busy with each other."

Noticing the repulsed look in AJ's eyes, Phil shook his head and then, in an instant, lunged forward and head butted the bastard right in-between the eyes, causing him to stagger backward towards AJ, who then stuck her leg out and tripped the fool, watching him crash to the floor while everyone around them hooted and hollered their appreciation.

Realizing the scene he had created and the crowd that was now forming, AJ reached for Phil's hand and grabbed it in her own, leading him away from everyone, catching one last glance at Rick as a bouncer came and scraped him off the floor.

* * *

"You didn't need to do all that, Phil."

They were laying, side by side, on the hood of his truck, looking up at the clear, dark skies. "I saw him before I confronted him...I saw how his hands were all over you. What I did was justified", he said a little coldly, his eyes never looking at her.

She opted to remain silent, her gaze still on the skies above. She was looking for the right words to say to him. Their kiss replayed over and over in her head, and it was starting to drive her crazy. But before she could say anything else to him, he cut her off at the pass. "Do you remember when you were in the second grade...I think you were still eight at the time. I came to pick you up and take you home..."

"And those two jerks took the mask you gave me from me and wouldn't give it back", she continued, remembering it in her mind perfectly. It was like it had happened only yesterday. "Why do you ask?", she was colored curious.

He sighed, finally turning to look at her. "That's when I knew...that no matter what, I had to protect you. That you were going to be a part of my life. That I had to be there for you, always. And even though we lost thirteen years, I never stopped thinking about what you were up to, like I said. And-"

"Phil", she stated, turning to look at him as well. "I'm sorry if this sounds rude or unlike me, because it is, but what are you getting at?", she asked, hoping this would lead to the subject of their kiss and the subsequent disconnect that had come between them.

"What I'm getting at is...all this time, I kept trying to picture you as a young woman, grown up, becoming as beautiful as I always told you that you'd be...and yet, I kept picturing you as sweet, innocent April Jeanette, my little AJ...forever a child, always begging me for piggy back rides, always sneaking out with me to my wrestling shows at the old warehouse, always reading Batman comics till the wee hours of the morning, way past your bed time..."

He took a deep breath, turning away from her, not wanting to see the hurt and broken hearted look that surely was in her eyes and on her face. "That's why I freaked when we kissed...because in some way, even though you've grown to be a beautiful young woman...you'll always be my little AJ, inside here", he whispered, taking her hand and placing it on his heart.

AJ felt her hand run across the fabric of his hoodie, but it went right back to where she could feel his heart beating. It all made sense to her now. He had only known her as a child...it was like he was her guardian angel, always there for her, to watch her grow and become a better person...except he wasn't there, through no fault of his own. But now here she was, thirteen years older, thirteen years wiser, and still growing into her womanly body. She cursed herself for not looking at it from his point of view. "Phil...listen..."

She inhaled and exhaled. Here went nothing. "I'm sorry if I...forced something on you that you weren't ready for or didn't want...I've never wanted you to feel like that. I should have taken how you felt about everything into consideration. But you also have to understand that I'm not that little girl anymore. I'm twenty three years old...I'm becoming a woman. And I know it's hard for you to imagine me as something more than that little girl...but you have to accept the fact that I'm not. That little girl is still in here, Phil, trust me, she always will be...but she spread her wings and she's learning to fly. And she wants to take you along for the ride...you were my first real friend, Phil. My best friend. I don't want to lose your friendship for anything."

The words sounded so real, so heartfelt coming from her mouth. He sighed as he looked at her again, seeing her smiling at him. He removed her hand from his chest and interlocked it with his own. "I don't want to lose your friendship either, shorty. Besides Colt, Chez and my sisters, you were one of my favorite people, and you'll continue to be. You'll always have a place in my heart, April. And I'll always be there if you need me. It'll take time but...I'll get used to the fact that you're a woman now. Besides, I'm your pro for NXT. Who cares if we missed thirteen years of our lives, by the time the season's over, you'll be sick of me."

A smile graced AJ's lips as she leaned into him and placed a sweet, chaste kiss on his lips. It would take him time to get used to her as she was now, and she respected his beliefs and his feelings...but by the time NXT was over, through hell or high water...

"You're going to belong to me...", she whispered. "For good."

* * *

**And that's a wrap for this chapter! Foxy is up next, so be on the look out for that! Hope you all enjoyed! =)**


	10. I'll be your keeper for life

**Salute everyone! Red Foxy again, with chapter ten! LOL. I like to make silly rhymes. :) I hope you are enjoying the ride. White Firebird and I having a blast! I loved his previous chapter too, and a big ole HAPPY BIRTHDAY to HIM! Also, I hear this song that really, to me, described these two and how they are to each other, so I included it here. It's called Guardian, by Alanis Morrisette.**

* * *

_You, you who has smiled when you're in pain  
You who has soldiered through the profane  
They were distracted and shut down _

Did he hear her right? His grey green eyes were confused.

"What did you say?"

He cocked his head to the side in a manner that gave AJ a giggle, no different from the way he did it as a seventeen year old kid. She tightened her grip on his hand just a little bit more. "I said... you're going to belong to me. You were my first friend, my first crush, my first love... you're destined to be my first _everything_." Pulling him close again, she added, "for good."

He dragged his two front teeth over his lip ring, mulling over such an all encompassing statement. She had his hand wrapped in hers, snugly cradled in the warmth of her lap. She definitely wasn't a little girl anymore, he couldn't deny it as much as his brain was telling him to. He had to at least try for her, to stop looking at her like she was a kid, and more the woman she was telling him she was. Hell, _any_ red blooded male with eyes could see she was a grown adult, and not a child.

Everything about her screamed out that she was an unbelievably sensual creature. From the way her long, ebony hair shone in the starlight, to how her almond shaped amaretto eyes danced every time he spoke to her. When she looked at him, those animated orbs would snag him like prey in the cross hairs of a gun. It was starting again... that tight, hot burn in his chest, and the feeling of weightlessness she created in him out of nothing at all. There he was, his hand cupping the side of her face, his lips on hers, tongue exploring... Closing his eyes he willed away his apprehension, actually enjoying the feel of her gentle softness against him. Only this time, it was April who broke away.

Placing her small hand on his chest over his now rapidly beating heart, she looked right into his soul.

"I'm going to be your keeper for life, Phil."

_So why, why would you talk to me at all  
Such words were dishonorable and in vain  
Their promise as solid as a fog_

_And where was your watchman then ? _

"Okay! I'm here..." Eve took a seat across from Phil and laced her fingers together in front of them on the table. "Sorry I took so long to get back to you, it's been a hell of a hectic week! So," she looked right into his eyes and cut to the chase, "what's on your mind, Phil?"

"Well, a few things, actually, and I need some advice from a woman I can trust." He fidgeted with the napkin on the table, trying to avoid direct eye contact with her.

Eve knew exactly what, or who, was on his mind. Everyone did. It had been no secret that he went after Wade and Serena over AJ. Not to mention the fact that AJ was not one to keep her feelings about him away from her friends. She was a woman on a mission, and that mission was to conquer Mount Punk.

"So, you're having some trouble sorting out how you feel, huh big guy?"

He looked over to her, his expression one of mild annoyance, as usual. "I just want to know what it all means, that's all. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an idiot, okay?"

"Nobody said you were, so just tell me what's going on and I'll try to help you with it."

He picked up his coffee and took a few sips, before releasing a loud, uncomfortable sigh. "I kissed her again. I wasn't going to, but I did. I couldn't help myself."

The crazy ass smile on Eve's face wasn't helping.

"Eve, come on... stop looking at me like that. It's creeping me out for fuck sakes."

"Okay, I'm sorry." She relented, and gave him a friendly pat on the hand. "Look, first of all, you know how that girl feels about you. She's mad over you. From what I understand, she's loved your grouchy ass since she was nine years old. Do you know how rare that is, Phillip?"

He nodded. "I know she has these crazy ideas about how we're supposed to be meant for each other, and all that sappy, mushy, girly stuff."

Eve gave a stern look and pointed her finger at him. "Don't you even try to tell me you don't believe in all that sappy, mushy, girly stuff, mister. You happen to be well known around here as the King of Romance. It's tattooed across your fingers, for goodness sake!"

"So it is..." he chuckled, inspecting his fingers. "All right, you got me there. But... I'm an old, cranky bastard. She's young, vivacious and a drop dead gorgeous Goddess to boot."

"So you _have_ noticed her assets, I see." She teased him now. It was so easy... "Did you forget you have your own, considerable assets as well? Old my ass, Phillip."

"I am a male and I do have eyes, Eve."

"What's so bad about feeling the same way? It's nothing to be ashamed of. Who gives a shit if you're a few years older? Look at Dolph and Vickie... she's old enough to be his mommy."

"Do I _have_ to look at Dolph and Vickie?" He whined. "I don't want my eyes falling out of my head from the fright."

"Okay mister funny man, seriously, what _is_ your problem? You obviously like her a lot, if not love her already." Eve sized up his demeanor as best as she could. She could tell without a doubt he had some very deep rooted feelings for that girl. "What's got you so spooked you can't go ahead and enjoy this?"

His head dipped down, and he rested his face in his palms. Peering at her through his fingers, he took a deep breath before answering her. It was like he was trying to hide in an impossible place.

"It does have a lot to do with how I've perceived her over the past thirteen years. When she left she was a little kid. She never grew up to me. When she bounced back into my life, it was almost like looking at a stranger, only I knew everything about her. But that... that's not all of it. She laid something on me I'm not quite sure I can comprehend, or I even want to."

Eve tugged his hands away from his face and offered him an understanding smile. "Look, Phil, tell me what she said. Maybe I can translate the _woman-speak_ for you."

He nodded, biting at his lips ring again for the hundredth time and placed his hands on his lap. "Okay, here it goes. Just before I kissed her again, uh, we were sitting outside on the hood of my truck, you know, stargazing and stuff."

"Oh, that sounds so romantic!"

"Eve..."

"Oops, sorry, please go on."

"Okay, she was getting all serious about her feelings and told me she really did understand why I need time to get past that she's not child anymore, and that was cool. I felt really good about it until..."

"Until what?"

He scratched at the back of his neck nervously before pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt _so_ high school..."She told me that I was her first friend, first crush, first love, and that she wanted me to be her first _everything_. Her first? What the fuck does that mean?"

Eve's mouth formed a little oh shape, and her eyes widened, pretty sure she understood what April had been implying, but did Phil? "It looks to me like you know damned well what she meant, and you're asking me to confirm it."

"Well, will you? Or am I on crack?" He levelled his eyes to hers, begging for her to make it clear.

"Dear boy, you're as sober as they come. Straight Edge, even. You already have the answer you require. I can see it all over your puppy dog face, honey. Now all you have to do is decide how you want to handle the rest. Do you want to be the guy she gives her first time to, and do you trust yourself with it to do right by her?"

"But Eve, I don't know what to do!" He grabbed at her wrist feeling a little desperate. She could see the panic in his eyes. "I've never been with someone who's never been..."

Eve felt a little sorry for him suddenly, and she settles back in her seat. "Okay, here it is... if you do ever decide to go down that road with AJ, and I'm not saying you should, or you shouldn't. I'm just saying that if you _do_, you need to make sure you have all the information you can get to make that time for her one she'll want to remember, instead of forget. Do you understand me?" She shook her finger at him. "Don't blow this if you go ahead with it. My first time was a fucking horrible gong show."

He kept looking at her like there was more. "Don't leave me hanging here Eve! Please?"

"Oh, all right. If I can save even one girl from that kind of misery, I'm willing to share it with you."

_I'll be your keeper for life as your guardian  
I'll be your warrior of care your first warden  
I'll be your angel on call, I'll be on demand  
The greatest honor of all, as your guardian _

AJ was hopping just inside the gorilla while one by one, the girls were called up with their Pros to play an new game. Serena was already in the ring with her pro, Beth. Matt Striker shuffled his papers around in his hands, and adjusted his microphone.

"Tonight, the Divas will be answering five questions each about how well they know their Pro. The Diva that gets the most answers correct, wins this game!"

The crowd was hot tonight, and April could hardly hear herself think. Serena would be up first, then Kaitlyn and Vickie, followed by two more, then herself and Punk. The questions ran the gamut. Anything from serious career oriented ones, to personal, quirky ones.

"Okay, here is your first question. What Slammy Award did Beth Phoenix win on the December 8, 2008 episode of "Raw"?"

Serena was only too happy to answer that one. "Diva of the Year!"

"Correct!"

Beth hugged Serena and they both turned back to Matt for the next question.

"Okay ladies, here's number two... On the June 5, 2006 episode of "Raw", Beth Phoenix suffered an injury in a Tag Team Match. What injury did she sustain in the match to keep her out of action for approximately one year?"

"Come on Serena, that's an easy one." Beth gave her a pat on the back.

Serena almost looked worried, and soon, even the Glamazon, realized her rookie did not know the answer.

"Come on Serena! You have to know this!"

"Was it a broken ankle?" She guessed, cringing in Beth's shadow.

"NO!" Beth screamed at her.

"Sorry Serena, no. It was a fractured mandible."

"How could you get that wrong?" Beth yelled, stomping around her in a circle.

"Next question!" Matt called out, drawing their attention back to him. "Okay, what is Beth's favorite flower?"

Both women glared at Matt. "What kind of stupid question is that?" Beth demanded to know.

Striker just held up his hands and smiled. "It's what I was given, ladies. Now please, the answer?"

"Daffodil?"

"Correct!"

Beth beamed, hoping Serena could pull it out.

"All right ladies, fifth and final question. On the July 14, 2008 episode of "Raw", Beth Phoenix accepted the open challenge of a male superstar. Which male "Raw" superstar did Beth Phoenix defeat in the open challenge?"

Beth stood there, menacingly crossing her very well muscled arms across her chest. She was in no mood to lose out because of one of Punk's Straight Edge flunkies. "Get this right Serena, or I'm done with you."

"Was it... uh, was it The Miz?"

The crowd booed and laughed. Beth stormed out of the ring and up the ramp, leaving an embarrassed Serena there to pick up the pieces. They were now out of the competition.

Two more Divas were eliminated by the time they got to AJ and Punk. So far, it was only Kaitlyn that had her Pro down pat. Missing only one question, she beamed as she came from behind the curtain to where Punk and AJ waited.

"Congrats girlie!" AJ gave her friend a bear hug.

"Thanks, I hope you do just as well out there." Kaitlyn glanced over to Punk and winked. "Something tells me you two are gonna steal the show."

_You, you in the chaos feigning sane_  
_You who has pushed beyond what's humane_  
_Them as the ghostly tumbleweed_

His lip curled into one of his trademark smirks as he rubbed at the whiskers along his chin. "It's go time, Shorty."

He followed her out as they played her music. AJ skipped all the way to the ring, and he sat on the ropes, helping her in like a gentleman. It would seem from the roaring cheers of the audience, that they really enjoyed seeing the two of them together on screen. AJ skipped about for a little bit waving to the fans, then settled in beside her hero.

"Okay, we now have AJ Lee and her Pro, CM Punk with us. They are our final entrants. If AJ can get every single question correct, they win!" Matt held his arms up over his head, getting the crowd to scream. Already the AJ/Punk chants were roving their way around the arena. AJ glanced up at Phil, trying to gauge his reaction to how the fans welcomed the two of them together. Catching her staring, he gave her a playful wink, then to her surprise, he slung his tattooed arm over her shoulder.

"We're going to win everything, make no mistake about it, Matt." Punk announced with a quirky, all knowing grin.

"Okay then, shall we begin?"

The WWE Universe applauded and cheered their approval, taking a moment for Matt to be able to be heard over them. "Let's go! Number one AJ... Who did CM Punk defeat at his first ECW TV Taping?"

She grabbed the mic from Striker's hand. "Justin Credible!"

"Great job AJ, that's right!" Matt waved the mic around getting the crowd worked up yet again.

Punk leaned in and whispered. "You're one of those people with a whole lot of mindless trivia stored inside your brain, aren't you?"

AH nodded, getting more hyper as the game went on.

"All right, let's have another, shall we? What moment in WWE History did CM Punk say inspired him to join the wrestling business?"

"I would have to say when Roddy Piper hit Snuka with a coconut on Piper's Pit!" AJ knew she was right by the huge grin on Punk's face.

"Correct again! Okay AJ, here's number three. While in Ohio Valley Wrestling OVW, who ruptured CM Punk's eardrum and broke his nose?"

April looked like she had to think about this one, looking from Matt to Punk, and back again. Just before Matt could call her out, she held up her hand. "Danny Inferno!"

"Excellent AJ! You're doing great! Okay, this one is a little odd, and I have no idea why they want me to ask it, but... what colour Starbursts are Punk's favorite?"

Puzzled, both Punk and AJ looked at one another.

"What the hell kind of question is that?" Punk asked.

"It's okay, Punk!" AJ had him by the arm. "I remember that one. RED!"

The fans were cheering more now than they did when the couple first entered the ring.

"Okay, last and final question. If you get this right AJ, you win the game! Here it goes... What is CM Punk most afraid of?"

The crows was once again chanting Punk and AJ's names in a circle around the arena.

AJ's eyes softened as she looked to her hero, and a sympathetic smile stretched out across her lips. Placing her hand on his taped up wrist, she shook her head, looking like she felt very bad for what she was about to say. Punk's curious eyes questioned where she could possibly be going with this.

"Well, " she turned to Matt, never releasing Punk's wrist, "when I was nine he used to ask me to kill spiders for him. He was really scared of them and he hated to squish them because he said, oh, how did you say that again now? Oh yeah... he said it felt like a brain popping out of a skull. Something like that, but yeah, his biggest fear that _I_ know of, is spiders."

She couldn't know that she was more wrong than anything. It had him wonder, where the fuck did the writers get this personal shit from? Sure, he hated spiders, and yes, her did get her to kill them when they happened along. But now... now it was all her. _She_ was what scared him the most.

"AJ, you have a perfect score!" Matt announced. "Here are your winners!"

Phil scooped her up into his arms, twirling her around the ring a few times before settling her back down on the mat. The crowd was once again chanting their names and before he knew what was happening, AJ jumped back nto his arms, her lips locked greedily to his!

_Now no more smiling mid crestfall_  
_No more managing unmanageables_  
_No more holding still in the hailstorm_

_Now enter your watchwoman_

_I'll be your keeper for life as your guardian_  
_I'll be your warrior of care your first warden_  
_I'll be your angel on call, I'll be on demand_  
_The greatest honor of all, as your guardian_

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed that. Now I hand this baby off to my buddy, White FireBird. I love the kissing, and I cannot be stopped! :P Okay, maybe sometimes, but dammit, I want them to kiss more. Thank you for all your follows and comments. We both appreciate every word of it. **

**Also, please let me know if you have any Punk/Lee stories that we would be interested in reading. And never forget Jean The Gaurdian's community, Punk/Lee Nation. Join up and be alerted to all new stories we add. XD**


	11. natural dynamite

**White Firebird here...so happy with all of the feedback and positive comments/reviews we keep getting. Foxy and I absolutely love reading them, and we love that you all love what we're doing here. And thank you for all the feedback on my one-shot, Friends Again. Check it out if you already haven't, and check out Take Me With You by Foxy, plus the community, Punklee Nation, created by Jean The Guardian. As for the chapter...the song used is Your Love Is My Drug by Ke$ha. I think it fits how AJ's feeling towards Phil at the moment. And that's that. Enjoy! =)**

* * *

_Maybe I need some rehab_

_Or maybe just need some sleep_

_I got a sick obsession_

_I'm seeing it in my dreams_

_I'm lookin' down every alley_

_I'm making those desperate calls_

_I'm staying up all night hoping hitting my head against the wall_

AJ bobbed and weaved her head as she turned on the shower head, letting the water warm up before she stepped in and let the water encompass her. She had just finished a training session with Kaitlyn and Naomi, and she had to say that she was pleasantly surprised with how it all went down. But what made her most happy was the proud look that Phil wore on his face when she finished; he looked like he couldn't have been happier with how far her in ring work was progressing. He reassured her that if she kept improving each and every day, she'd be a lock to win NXT and make the main roster, and she believed him; after all, he was one of the better minds when it came to judging talent and, well, he was _CM Punk._ He was universally regarded as one of the best all around wrestlers the world had to offer.

She just wished that those in charge would recognize what they had in him.

Turning the speakers up a little bit more so that she would be able to hear the song over the running water, she finally stepped in and immediately felt her body relax, the water covering every inch of her naked body as she stood there for a moment, letting everything in her mind wander as it was just her and only her in the room. Phil was off somewhere, probably talking with one of the stagehands or Matt to see what the next episode tonight had in store for everyone. Even though she loved being around him every moment of every day, getting some alone time was nice every now and then too.

_What you got boy, is hard to find_

_I think about it all the time_

_I'm all strung out my heart is fried_

_I just can't get you off my mind_

"April? You in here?"

Snapping her eyes open, she could hear Phil call out for her again as she turned off the water and reached to grab a towel...but she suddenly thought twice about doing that, a devilish little smirk crossing her lips. This was going to be so worth it to see the look on his face... "I'm in here, Phil! What brings you over?"

"Luke's being a douche and taking forever in our shower so I need to use yours", she could hear him grumble out, making her giggle. "It's not funny, April", he said sternly, which only furthered her giggle fits.

"Could you be a dear and hand me a towel?", she asked innocently, hearing him open the bathroom door. When she heard him grab it, she swung the curtain open, revealing her naked body to him. It took everything she had to not burst out laughing right there, his eyes damn near bugging out of his head before he quickly turned his gaze upward to the ceiling as he held his arm out with the towel in hand, looking like he was going to kill her on the spot.

Taking the towel from him and wrapping herself in it, he finally lowered his gaze and gave her a look of death, his jaw jutting out, shaking his head in disapproval. "Real cute, April. You're a natural fucking comedian."

She waited until he exited the bathroom to begin laughing hysterically. Ever since the night a few weeks ago where she told him just exactly how she felt about him, she had taken to teasing him like this every so often, partly because it was hilarious to see someone like Phil be such a prude, and partly because, well, she was going to do whatever it took to get him to get him to look at her like the young woman she was now. **By any means necessary.**

Slipping out of the bathroom, she grinned madly as she watched Phil walk by her into the bathroom, mumbling incoherently under his breath, slamming the door shut behind him. No sooner than he did that, though, did she hear him groan loudly at the choice of music she had been listening to, turning it all the way down.

"Why the hell did I agree to be your pro again!?"

April lowered her head, unable to contain the smile that was threatening to be etched on her lips permanently. "Because whether you want to admit it or not...you love me", she whispered to herself as she began to get changed for tonight.

* * *

_Because your love your love your love is my drug_

_Your love your love your love (I said)_

_Your love your love your love is my drug_

_Your love your love your love_

"Check the board and see what we've gotta do tonight, I'll be right with you."

AJ nodded as Phil ventured off in a different direction, while she walked to the middle of the catering area, where the events of the night were posted. Walking past the stagehands, greeting them with a smile, she stopped in front of the board and started from the top. "Intro...dance off...Kait versus Naomi..._oh..._"

Feeling Phil walk up behind her, he stopped and put his hand on her shoulder so he could get a good look at the board himself. "Oh what?", he asked, his eyes still scanning everything till they fell on what caused that reaction from AJ. "_Oh._ **That.** Well, **that** certainly complicates matters..."

She turned and looked to Phil with pleading eyes, a nervous look on her face. Immediately, he knew she wasn't feeling comfortable with the prospect of getting into the ring with Serena, and all good vibes she was giving off from earlier were now thrown out the window. Truth be told, he didn't feel too good about the match taking place, either. And while he understood that all the women had to eventually go toe to toe with each other at one point, it still didn't put him or AJ at ease.

Giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, he leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Don't worry. I'll be out there with you the entire time. They won't hurt you."

It had been a little over two weeks since the Straight Edge Society had quietly broken up, and Phil was doing his best to put on a brave face over the fact that the boys and girls in charge ruined his brain child, turned it into something unrecognizable, and pissed it all away. Since the breakup, Serena had taken to drinking her sorrows away at every single hotel bar they stayed at, and it pissed him off to then see her prance around on NXT, saying that she was the _'Straight Edge Diva'_ and whatnot. Add that to her constant claims that she was going to win the competition and put little _'princesses'_ like AJ down and leave them for dead, and needless to say, he was at his wits end with Serena.

"I don't want any trouble with her", she whispered back, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. "You don't think she'll try to pull anything out there, do you?"

He shook his head, trying his best to put her at ease. "No, not if I'm out there, she won't." Placing a kiss on top of her hair, he nudged her to get her to look at him again. "Why don't you go find Kaitlyn and relax for a little bit. I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

Nodding her head, she stood on her toes and placed a kiss on his cheek, then grabbing her bag and walking down the hall to the dressing room, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Running a hand over his still-growing hair, he sighed deeply, grabbing his own bag and slinging it over his shoulder, deciding that taking a walk and giving AJ some space to clear her head would be the best course of action at the moment.

So he walked, and walked, down the long, winding halls of the backstage area, humming the song that she had been listening to earlier and simultaneously cursing himself for allowing it to get stuck in his head. He did this in relative silence, until rounded a corner and saw none other than Serena and Beth outside of the trainer's room, conversing about who knew what. Feeling nosey, he began to listen in on their little chit chat...

"...and then when you get her down, you make sure she _stays_ down. Don't give her a chance to even breathe. I want her crying and crawling back to him, _begging him_ to pull her out of the competition", he heard Beth instruct. Already, his tempers were beginning to flare; Beth always seemed to have it in for him ever since they broke up a while back.

"Don't worry, Beth, I'll give that little pipsqueak the worst beating of her life. I would love nothing more than to **end** that bitch's career tonight. I still don't understand why they even let her on the show this season" , Serena said to Beth, the two women sharing a laugh.

"Yeah, I mean, seriously. She looks like she's five years old with her little get ups and the way she skips and prances around the ring. Who knew a five year old could look and act like such a little _whore?_"

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Charging around the corner, Phil damn near had flames in his eyes and steam exiting his nostrils as he marched right up to the two women, who shut up instantly at the sight of him. Looking between the reigning Divas Champion and his former protégé, he couldn't decide whose asshole he wanted to rip anew more. Thankfully, Beth made that choice easy for him.

"And what do I owe the displeasure of seeing you here,_ Punk?_", she spat, which only made him give her an evil, twisted smirk.

"Cut the shit, _Elizabeth_", he spat right back at her, taking small joy in watching her face turn red at the mention of her birth name.

"What are you doing here, Punk?", Serena then asked, his head turning on a swivel to face her. The enraged look was replaced with one of irritation. "Unless you've got to talk to the trainer, you can-"

"Shut up", he told her simply, turning his attention back to Beth, a unnerving smile on his lips, one that caused Beth to shift uncomfortably around on her feet; she had seen that smile before, and it usually didn't mean good things were about to happen. Phil then suddenly started to laugh, now making Serena feel nervous about what was about to happen. Raking a hand over his face, the laughter subsided to a chuckle as he readied himself to talk.

"Ya know, funny story about today. Me and AJ get here to the arena, we're both in good moods, so I send her to check out what the night holds for us. She checks the board and sees that she's wrestling _you_", he said, pointing to Serena, looking at her with a darkness that made her want to turn tail and walk away.

"She sees that and she starts to grow nervous, because for some reason, she thinks that you, my _dear Serena_", pointing at her while keeping an eye trained on Beth, "are going to try and hurt her when you get in the ring with her. I tell her it's nothing to worry about, to go relax before the show while I take a walk. And then, what do you know...I run into you two, confirming AJ's fears about going out there with the intent to hurt her", the venom dripping from his lips as his smile faded. "Now ain't **that** some shit."

Serena looked to Beth, wringing her hands together nervously, her eyes shifting down to the floor while the Divas Champion looked defiant as she stood there, her hands balled up into fists and chest puffed out, like she was looking for a fight. "What're you gonna do if my rookie here tries to take some liberties with your pathetic excuse of a rookie, huh Punk? What're _you_ gonna do?", she said vigorously, poking him in the chest.

Phil rolled his eyes at her, chuckling. "Come off it, _Elizabeth._ Ever since we broke things off, you've taken to trying to make me miserable to make yourself feel better. Need I remind you who was the one crying and begging and pleading to try things out again, to make them better than before?", he said with a smirk, watching Beth's face turn scarlet with humiliation. "Maybe the big, rough and tough Beth Phoenix isn't as tough as she wants everyone to think she is..."

"You shut your damn mouth, Punk!", Serena interjected, standing in front of her pro. "You have no right to talk to her like that! You're such an ass!"

"I'm not the one who's threatening to purposely hurt another wrestler in the ring", he started off, his hardened glare now fixed on his former hand picked Diva for his Society. "Nor am I the one getting hammered every night at the bar, then going on television and proclaiming yourself to be the_ 'Straight Edge Diva'_ ", he said, his words now packing extra heat. "Does this look like a joke to you!?", he then exclaimed, holding up his fists where the words 'Drug Free' were tattooed. "Straight edge is **NOT** damn joke, it's a life style, and seeing you act like you know the first thing about it pisses me the fuck off!"

His breathing was heavy when he finished, his face red with anger, the two women stepping back a little bit, afraid he might go off on them again. "Is that all you came over here to do, scream at us like a baby?", Beth asked, trying to put some authority back in her voice but failing miserably.

Shaking his head, Phil went to walk off, stopping only to turn and face the both of them. "No. What I came here to say is that if I see either one of you two try anything funny out there, if you try to hurt AJ, you'll be hurting my family. And if you fuck with my family, you're fucking with _me_. I_ love_ that girl and I will always do what I can to protect her. Crossing me is something neither of you want."

* * *

AJ ran the ropes and delivered a clothesline to Serena, taking a moment to catch her breath as she looked down at her fallen opponent, then to Phil, who urged her to keep her focus on the match. The two wanna-be Divas had been going at it for the last ten minutes, back and forth, with no one gaining much of an advantage. Picking Serena back up, AJ went to throw her into the ropes again but got her eyes raked, temporarily blinding her before feeling Serena's boot nail her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her. She could hear Serena gloat to the crowd, while they booed heavily. Regaining her vision, she looked up to see her opponent hamming it up for Beth, who cheered like it was New Year's.

Getting dragged to her feet, AJ could slowly feel the match begin to slip away from her, until she heard Phil cheering her on from his corner. _"Come on, April! Never give up! You didn't give up when I first started teaching you, and look where you've gotten! You've got this!"_

She was lifted onto Serena's shoulders, sensing that Serena was going for her finisher. Wriggling her way out of it and grazing her nails across Serena's eyes as payback, AJ landed on her feet and promptly kicked Serena in the back of her leg, hearing her yelp in pain as she fell to one knee. Running the ropes in front of her, AJ connected with her own finisher, the Shining Wizard, watching Serena fall to the mat, out cold, while the fans cheered wildly. Looking to Phil, who himself was cheering like mad, she smiled as she pulled out a trick that took him (and everyone in attendance) by surprise.

Falling to the mat, she slapped on the Anaconda Vice! As the crowd chanted deliriously and Phil looked completely blown away by what he was seeing, Serena frantically tapped out and AJ was declared the victor. Sliding out of the ring before Beth could get her hands on her, she felt Phil's arms trap her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around, before bending down and putting his head between her legs, lifting her up onto his shoulders like he used to when she was a child. If AJ could have died right then and there, the fans cheering for her, sitting on Phil's shoulders, feeling as proud of her as he'd ever feel, she'd have died a happy girl.

_I don't care what people say_

_The rush is worth the price I pay_

_I get so high when you're with me_

_But crash and crave you when you leave_

* * *

"All right ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our next competition! The winner gets immunity from being eliminated in the next round", Matt began as he turned his attention to the girls in the ring. "Now girls, this is a chance for you to prove how articulate and captivating you can be, because it is time for the talk the talk challenge! Each of you will be given a random topic. You will be given sixty seconds to speak on that topic. And judging you...the live audience here tonight!", he announced, getting the crowd into it.

AJ watched nervously as the competition began with Jamie and her topic being...teeth. _'Oh boy, this is gonna suck something hard'_, she thought to herself as the muscular, blonde rookie strayed off topic quite horribly. She looked to Phil, sitting on stage with the rest of the pro's, and tried to hide her smile as she watched him crack up and laugh to the point where it looked like he was about to fall out of his chair and onto the stage. Soon after, the rest of the pro's, with the exception of Beth, followed suit and began laughing at the utterly dumb topics their rookies were being given.

After Aksana failed horribly to talk about llamas, Serena went to grab the mic, but instead turned toward her and made a lunge, but thankfully Kaitlyn grabbed the bitter rookie Diva before she could get to her, getting disqualified in the process. AJ watched Serena sulk to the back and smiled; it felt good coming out on top in this instance. But soon, Matt's gaze turned to her and she felt nervous again. "AJ, please step forward."

Doing so and grabbing the mic from Matt, she waited with bated breath for her topic. She stole one last glance at Phil on stage and he gave her an encouraging thumbs up. Confidence coursed through her veins now. She was ready. "AJ, your topic is...caffeine. Sixty seconds, go."

And go she went. "If anyone knows a thing or two about caffeine, it's me, because I don't know if you noticed, I bounce everywhere. But I don't need caffeine for that natural high, I have this business. I have this ring. I have my passion for everything I do in it. That's what gets me up in the morning, not a cup of Joe. And I love this business so much, I've been trying to get here for years. These girls...put a big check in their face and that's why they're here. So caffeine perks you up...but me...I'm some natural dynamite, baby."

_Hey, so I got a question_

_Do you wanna have a slumber party in my basement?_

_Do I make your heart beat like an 808 drum_

_Is my love your drug? Your drug?_

_Huh, your drug?_

_Huh, your drug?_

_Is my love your drug?_

Phil watched AJ talk like a proud parent would their child at a concert recital. She clearly was the best of the lot, and it was no surprise when Matt announced her as the winner of the competition. Feeling something on his lap, he turned to see Layla and Michelle, LayCool as they so loved being called, looking at him with crazy ass smiles. "Looks like you've got some natural dynamite on your hands, Phil", Layla cooed in her British accent.

"What do you have to say about that?", Michelle then asked, giving him a knowing grin.

He rolled his eyes, but not before he caught AJ sprinting up the ramp towards him. When she got close enough, she threw herself into him, nearly knocking him off his chair as she peppered him with kisses everywhere, before she planted a long, wet one on his lips. He chuckled as he pried her off, then pulled her back into a hug.

"I'd say that I need some natural dynamite in my life."

* * *

**And now I hand this sucker off to my pal Red Foxy. I hope you all enjoyed it. After all...everyone needs some natural dynamite in their life, right? ;)**


	12. he loved her, he really did

**Hayho, my fellow Punk/Lee fans! Red Foxy here with another update! Hopefully you have not gagged too much on the AJ and John fiasco and their terrible, school boy kiss! John really frigged that up, all clumsy and hands not knowing where they should be. We all know how good punk kissed her, right? ;) Of course we do!**

**Thank you for all the follows and reviews, White Firebird and I love hearing what you have to say. I loved his last chapter here, it was brilliant! XD **

**Now, on with da show!**

* * *

Nick Nemeth, or Dolph as he was better known by, sat quietly in the corner, watching Stephen swill pint after pint in the quaint little British pub after the show. The European tour was always a blast, but tonight, he just wasn't feeling it. Unusual for him, he actually felt lonely, and this was something he didn't do well. Rocking his own glass back and forth a few times, he noticed a few of the Divas venture in all smiles and giggles. Layla, Nattie, Eve and lastly, AJ.

They took seats at the bar beside Stephen, who immediately offered to buy them all a pint. AJ was the only one shaking her head, opting instead for a can of soda. He chuckled and shook his own head... she was such a little kid at times, it made him laugh. But then, there were times like right now, when she coyly tucked her wavy, dark tresses behind her ears and sat with her shapely athletic legs crossed at the knee, when he knew damned well... _AJ was no kid_.

His eyes devoured her like a hungry animal, and everything else around him seemingly disappeared as he appreciated her abundant, female attributes. He always thought she was sweet, but she was usually attached to Phil's fucking hip. _Hmm_, he wondered, how did she manage to come here without her Straight Edge Chaperone, anyway? Okay, she _was_ with a few of the girls, but seriously, he could not imagine Phil letting her come here unattended. He had heard about Wade's foray into AJ's uncharted waters and his encounter with the man eating shark that was Punk. To be fair, Wade _was_ being a total dick to the girl, and Phil was well within his rights to defend her like he did. Skirting his hand through his gelled, blonde hair, he pushed himself away from the table. It was time to go fishing.

"Hey, AJ!"

She turned to find Nick casually walking up through the packed, noisy pub, his hands tucked into his jeans pockets and a devilish smile on his handsome face. She returned that smile, and petted the seat beside her.

An invitation.

"Why don't you join us for a while. You looked a little sad over there in the corner, Nick." She offered, and tilted her head in that really cute way he was finding hard to resist.

_Did she notice me_, he wondered?

"Thanks girl, _so_..." he slid in beside her and motioned for the bar keep, "What brings you fair maidens out into the night?"

"We were bored in our rooms. Eve suggested we get out for some air and some fun!"

"Ah, that's what you're calling it now, huh?" He leaned an elbow on the bar, raising a questioning eye brow at her. "So, how did you manage to tag along with the tour AJ? You're still on NXT."

She felt a flush of pink tint her cheeks, and for a second she had to take her eyes away from Nick's steely blue gaze. "I'm here, at the behest of one CM Punk."

Nick's eyes widened in pretend shock. "Oh, I see. Packed you in with his luggage again, did he? So," he looked from side to side, then back to the petite diva, "where is he?"

"We didn't tell him we were going out. Why should we?" AJ countered, suddenly feeling like a teenager who was caught sneaking out her bedroom window past midnight. "He doesn't look over my shoulder twenty four seven, you know, and I certainly don't need _his_ permission to go out!" She defiantly stated, and took another sip from her glass.

Realizing too late that he'd just embarrassed the girl, Nick opted to change his tactic.

"So, what's on the agenda then, honey? You ladies gonna be bar hopping, or are you staying here for the remainder of the night?"

"No, I think Eve wants to stay in one spot. Why are you here all alone? I would have thought you might have some pretty young thing on your arm already."

"I do." He told her, and leaning into her, gave a playful wink.

"Stop it!" She slapped at his arm and giggled. "You know what I meant... you big lug!"

He nodded. "Yeah, I knew what you meant, and I was being serious. You can be my date tonight. We can sit here and drink and talk, and then I can avoid be all alone in a bar, drinking by myself. How does that sound? You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours? Nothing serious, okay?"

He could see the wheels turning in her head. The fucking gears were grinding and he would have sworn there was smoke coming out of her cute, sea shell ears. Yeah, he knew she was infatuated with Punk, they all did... but that wasn't going to stop him from trying his own hand with her. Besides, he'd seen how Punk would routinely pull her in then push her away. If Phil Brooks couldn't make up his mind, Nick would gladly do it for him. He knew someone who would appreciate her the way she longed to be appreciated. Himself.

"I'll even punch out any guys that try anything with you. You don't need Punk here to protect you from the Wade Barretts of the world. I can do that just as easily. Deal?"

"Deal." She agreed, and gave him a big hug.

She smelled so unbelievably good, he thought, taking advantage of their brief closeness to bury his nose into her vanilla scented hair. What the fuck was Phil thinking, he wondered, turning this enthusiastic little honey pot away?

Eve watched them, more than just a little concerned, and grabbed her phone. What the hell was Phil thinking, she thought, as she sent out her hasty text.

_What happened after our little talk, Punk?_

_x_

_what are you talking about Eve?_

_x_

_I know you didn't tell me what you were gonna do, but I just assumed..._

_x_

_what the hell did you assume?_

_x_

_Look, come down to the hotel pub. You need to see this_

_x_

* * *

"Ah-hem."

Both AJ and Nick looked up to find Phil standing beside them, looking a little pissed off, and like he'd just crawled out of bed. His clothes were wrinkled under his red hoodie, and his hair was three ways to Sunday. He looked very irritated. Nothing unusual for him.

His grey green eyes impaled hers, and he gave an indignant snort. "May I ask what's going on here?"

Punk's voice was still thick with sleep, but equally as full of aggravation and impatience. He lazily leaned his hip against the bar, folding his arms across his chest, unimpressed. Nick's arm was slung possessively over her small shoulders, and they were now _sharing_ a bar stool.

_Charming_...

"Oops, AJ... we, we need to do a better job at, uh, hiding out from your, uh, warden."

They both started to snicker and fall over one another.

"We're just having fun Punky, lighten up!" She waved him off, giggling like a little school girl.

Nick was no better. The two of them looked like a couple of Spring Break drop outs. Not quite Girls Gone Wild, but close.

"Are you drinking?" Phil raised his eye brows at her accusingly, ignoring Ziggler for the moment.

She smiled, and held up her empty glass. "I just had a couple. These girl drinks are, are amazing!" Her eyes widened in awe and she slammed the glass down hard on the bar.

Both Phil and Nick cringed, and AJ hollered to the bartender for the fifth time. She wanted another one.

"I think you had more than enough, April. Come on..." He took the glass out of her hand and shook his head at the bar tender, mouthing the words, _no more_.

"Aw, come on Punk..." She whined, grabbing Nick around the neck. "Nick was just telling me about his amazing collection of... of..." She turned to look at Nick, who wasn't fairing much better than she was. "What was that again, that collection you have?"

"Um... I, I forget. Let's get you another drink!"

"No you don't, I think you've had enough for one night. Let's go, AJ." He took hold her her arm and tried to help her out of the stool they were sharing.

AJ pouted openly at him now, her eyes glaring up at him like daggers.

"Why are you here anyway, man?" Nick spoke up, and forced himself from his seat, standing toe to toe with Punk. "It's not like _you_ want her."

Phil calmly tuned back to AJ, who was sitting back in the stool. "Come on AJ, we need to go back to our rooms. You've had too much to drink and so has Zig Zag. _Let's go_." He reached out for her.

"No, I want to stay." She ducked out of his grasp, hiding behind Nick, who started to grin like a really smug bastard now.

"AJ... I'm not gonna say it again."

"Leave her be, she wants to party." Nick told him, and stepped closer to Punk. He was going to lay it out there now, he didn't care what Punk did about it. "It's not hard to see you, uh, you don't want anyone else to be with her, either. You gotta make up your mind, Punk. You're, you're not being fair to the poor girl."

Phil was finding it harder and harder to let Nick's drunken comments slide. They had attracted a bit of an audience now, and he didn't want to cause a scene. He was too fucking tired for that. There was only one way to defuse this situation.

In one swift and fluid movement, Phil grabbed April by the waist, slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Hearing her squeal, Nick covered his ears, stumbling back into his bar stool, watching as Phil turned on his heel and walked out with the little Diva bouncing over his back. She smiled back at Nick, waving and making the _'call me'_ sign as they disappeared out the doors. Yeah, he would call her all right, and next time, Mama Phil wasn't going to ruin everything.

* * *

"What's the matter with you?" He scolded, helping her get her shoes off. "Since when do you drink your ass to oblivion with Ziggler, of all people?"

"I was having fun, and you came along and chased away all the fun fairies. You suck!"

"_I suck_?" He was amused now, and helped her into her bed. "I just saved you from a world of hurt, April. You have NO idea what you would have gotten yourself into if you had left with him."

"Oh, I know what I would have... oh shut up, you still suck!" She yelled at him, yanking the blankets up over her head.

He would have laughed if he hadn't heard her start to cry. He watched her body start to skitter a little beneath the coverings, and she began sniffling.

"AJ... come on, don't start this."

"What?" She flung the blanket away and sat upright, angrily pounding her fists down on the mattress. "You, you make me crazy!"

"You're drunk, so who's crazy now?"

"I, I may have had a little too much, but... but I know my mind and my heart! I'm not a stupid kid!" She screamed at him.

Punk winced with every hard syllable that came out of her beautiful, angry mouth. "I know you aren't a kid... April, please stop it."

"I will not! You won't stop treating me like a child! Stop trying to keep me in the past, Phil! Weather you like it or not,_ I grew up!_"

He got down on his knees beside her bed, despondently dragging both of his hands down his face.

"I, I want a future..." She said, her voice barely a whisper now. She held her hand out, her fingers lightly brushing along his whiskered jaw. "I want a future... _with you_."

It was do or die...

Closing his eyes, his mind went back to his conversation with Eve, and everything she told him.

* * *

"_Listen, Phil, it's daunting, I know. You do not want that rendevouz looking like it came out of American Pie or Superbad, honey." _

_He gave her one of his, 'you gotta be kidding me', looks. _

"_Phil, I'm being serious, here. Do you want the straight goods, or not?"_

"_Yes, of course I do, but Eve... you make it sound like if it's not perfect, she'll be damaged for life!"_

_Eve realized she might have scared him, and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry if I'm coming on so strong about this, but, I don't want AJ to be like me."_

"_Okay," he softly agreed, and lifted his eyes to hers, "I'm listening Eve, and I promise not to be an ass."_

"_The most important thing is to make her feel emotionally ready, you know? Talk to her for god sake... lots of taking while you're, you know... anyway, that emotional part, it's key. Make sure you fulfil that."_

"_Understood. I just don't want to hurt her."_

"_Well..." Eve dragged it out, not sure how to break that one to him. "It's probably gonna, a bit. I mean, the longer you spend negotiating that curve, the more receptive her body will be when you, you know..."_

"_Oh, right... I almost forgot about that. I told you I'd never been with any virgins in my life. I was the only virgin I ever knew! When he left, I never got an education on the girl version of things."_

_She smiled, almost a little embarrassed. "I realize you aren't a kid yourself. You know your way around a woman's body, from what I've heard."_

_He made a face at her and gave an amused snort. "I should think so."_

"_Good, because in order to make it easier and more enjoyable for her, you have to be willing to spend oodles of time on the foreplay. Now, we both know I'm not familiar with your sexual habits, but I will say the wham bam thank you ma'am is not acceptable."_

"_No shit... what do I look like, a horny high school boy?"_

"_No, I'm sorry. I just cannot emphasize enough how important communication and lots of tenderness is. To be honest, it was all over for me within five minutes. Five minutes, Phil. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?" Sighing, she looked out across the coffee shop. "Any questions?"_

"_I have something to say, actually." He reached across the table and took her hand, giving her a small squeeze, noticing how her eyes started to get a little glassy. "I am really sorry that part of your life was so awful, Eve. I wish it had been different for you. I really do." _

_She gave a weak smile and nodded. "Thank you. It's something that really did effect me, and stayed with me all these years."_

"_So, as long as I spend lots of time preparing her, and talking to her, it should go smoothly, then?"_

"_Yeah, it should. From what I understand, she's good to go. So there won't be any of that trepidation. AJ trusts you already, you won't have that hurdle to get over. Oh, and if you can get her to, you know, go first, before you attempt actual sex, it would be, uh, optimal."_

"_What, you mean..."_

"_Yes, I mean that!" _

_He rested his elbows on the table now, and propped his chin into his hands. "That's really not unlike how I usually proceed in the first place. I like to see them go, oh, at least twice before I do." He smirked at her and she blushed. "See, I think I'll have it covered, if I decide that's what I want to do, of course."_

"_Of course! God, where the hell were you when I was sixteen?"_

* * *

Phil still didn't believe it would be right for him to take advantage of her like that. She was infatuated with the romance of them together as a couple, but he felt she didn't see the reality of them together as a couple. There were too many things in the way that screamed at him to walk the fuck away and not look back. Her age, the fact that he could still see that little girl in her eyes, the fact that she was his polar opposite on many things... then there was this virgin thing. What if he made a mistake? What happened if he accidentally hurt her? Would she remember him as the guy who made her feel as badly as Eve had felt? He had to admit, when he left Eve at the coffee shop, he was feeling pretty damned confident about the whole thing... now? Now he was second guessing and over thinking and he knew he needed to step away and get some air. He was literally feeling suffocated.

She had crawled from the bed and nestled herself into his arms now, her head resting on his chest and her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. He held her, not realizing he had circled his arms around her small, quivering body. He leaned his chin on the crown of her head, and released a long, foreboding sigh.

He felt like he'd be taking advantage or her, and she needed to back up a little and give her head a shake. He should never have kissed her, that was for sure... but he loved her. He did. He wanted her, too. Oh god, did he just admit that he wanted her? She was a kid, but she wasn't? One thing was perfectly clear to him. She knew her own mind better than he knew his, that was certain. Until he had a grip on himself, he had no choice. He hated himself for it, but what else could he do?

"April, I can't be that guy for you. I just can't."

* * *

**Okay, now it's White Firebird's turn! tally ho!**

**Will Phil really walk away from AJ?**

**What's Nick's deal, and does he have genuine feelings for little AJ?**

**Poor Eve, did she get her point across well enough?**

**Tune in for more... XD  
**


	13. shot through the heart

**Hey everyone...White Firebird here. Me & Foxy loved seeing all the reviews and comments about the last chapter. We're so glad you all enjoy this story as much as we do. Check out the community created by Jean The Guardian, Punklee Nation. It's got all the best Punklee stories you could ever want. And with that, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Wait, so let me get this straight...she flat out told you that she wanted a future with you...?"

"She was drunk, you're forgetting that fact."

"Either way...I don't know whether to commend you for doing the right thing and not taking advantage of her..."

"There's always an _'or'_..."

"Or berate you for not letting her down gently. What you said was pretty cold, man. You know that girl is head over heels for you. More than that, actually. She loves you to pieces, Phil."

Giving Luke a _'no shit'_ kind of look, Phil looked away for a moment, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips as he dragged his hands across his sleep deprived face. Taking a moment to look out at the overcast, dreary looking skies, he replayed the entire scene over in his head for what he felt was the ten millionth time since it had happened a few nights ago. The way their eyes connected, hers filled with tears and his with sorrow, what killed him the most was the seconds after he had closed the door, hearing her cry. He wanted nothing more than to rush back in there and hold her, console her, tell her everything was going to be just fine...

Maybe he_ could_ have let her down in a better way than he had. He loved that girl. He really did. And seeing her in that state pulled on his heart strings more than anything he could remember. Why was it so damn hard for him to look at her as the young woman she was becoming? Why did he have to keep seeing that innocent, sweet little nine year old girl in her eyes? All he had was question after question and no fucking answers...

"What do I do though, man? Have you ever been through something like this?"

Luke merely shook his head. "I don't think anyone's ever had a situation like this happen to them before, man. Only this could happen to you...did you call Colt?"

Phil grimaced at the mention of his best friend's name, biting down on his lip ring. "I gave him a call, left a message...what he left in return wasn't pretty", he said, digging his phone out and bringing up said message, handing it to the bald headed colossus. "Take a listen for yourself."

His facial expressions ranged from perturbed to amused as he listened to the very colorful, very descriptive message that Colt left. After handing the phone back to Phil, Luke took one look at his friend and couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. All of this drama with AJ was really taking a toll on him. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. "Well, he's justified in what he said, no matter how he said it", he commented, referencing the message from Colt.

"You're not helping at all, Luke", Phil shot back quickly, shaking his head.

"Well, what do you want me to tell you, man?", he asked rhetorically, sitting down across from him. "I mean, yes, I will give you that. You did the right thing when you were in the room with her. A lesser man would have taken complete advantage of her with the state she was in and done God knows what. I know Nick would have", he said, catching the flash of anger on Phil's face as the words left his lips.

"But what you said...from what you've told me man, she's very emotionally insecure. All that moving from place to place, not making any real friends, having no one look out for her other than her mother, who was almost never around herself...then she moves to Chicago and you walk into her life, and she finally has someone to give her the attention she deserves. And just when everything was going great, she has to leave again, and you don't see each other for thirteen years. Thirteen years! That's an eternity!"

"What are you getting at, Luke..."

"It's obvious to everyone with a set of eyes that she's got deep, deep emotional ties invested in you. You said that she said it herself...you were her first real friend, her first crush, her first love. She adores and thinks the world of you, Phil. And what you said to her...you might as well have shot that poor girl in the heart. Yes, it's a little dramatic and a little over the top, but hell, it's **true**."

Phil looked at his friend, then turned away, his eyes closed, knowing that everything Luke was telling him was, indeed, the truth. It killed him on the inside, but what could he do? The bed was made. He just had to go lay in it.

"You shot her in the heart."

* * *

"Why is it we keep meeting like this, Phil?", Eve asked as she slid into the booth across from him, a mixture of sternness and worry etched on her perfect caramel features. He hung his head low in shame, not making eye contact with her as he stared down at his hands, which were resting in his lap. "Are you gonna say anything?"

He dragged his heavy lidded eyes up to face her, looking like he was at his absolute wits end. He just had one question, only one, for her. "Why is this happening to me?"

If she hadn't spent the past few days consoling poor AJ, she'd have felt bad for him right now. He looked like death, and what happened between the two of them was really eating away at him. But still...

"What happened?", she asked simply. "I thought that when we were done with our talk, you had everything figured out..."

He threw his hands up in frustration, both with himself and the situation he found himself in. "I thought I did too, Eve. I took her back to her room, and she just flew off the handle...she started to cry, then she got mad and told me that I was keeping her in the past...that she grew up, whether I liked it or not. Told me she wanted a future with me. I didn't know what to say to that..."

"So you told her you couldn't be that guy?", she asked him incredulously. "Phil, do you have any idea what you've done to that girl?"

He cringed. "I have an inkling, but something tells me that I'm about to get the full story..."

She sighed, reaching across the table and grabbing his hand and holding it in hers. "She came to me and Nattie that night, crying her eyes out, muttering something about how much of an ass you were, among other things...she wouldn't stop crying, Phil. She kept alternating between saying how much she hated you and how much she loved you...I've never seen anything like that before in my life."

"I don't think you know how much she truly loves you, Phil."

Every one of Eve's words felt like a punch to the gut, but those last few ones were a swift kick to his balls. His lungs felt empty, the air leaving them like they would a deflated balloon. This was all on him. He was responsible for this mess, for hurting April like this. But what could he do? The damage was done, and he had probably driven her away from him for good. He created the divide and so desperately wanted to fix it but...

"I really screwed the pooch on this one, didn't I?", he asked Eve, watching her nod her head dutifully. "Can I be honest with you here for a moment?", he asked her, and she motioned for him to continue. He sighed, raking his tattooed hand over his face. He hadn't admitted this to anyone but himself. Here went nothing...

"I'm afraid, Eve. April...she scares the shit out of me", he began. "And I don't know what to do about that."

"Why does she scare you? Better yet...why do you _allow _her to scare you?"

His emotions came pouring out now. "Look at her, Eve! She's young, she's beautiful, she's got a bright future, she's got a solid head on her shoulders...and she wants me to be a part of her life in a way that I don't think I can be", he said, grabbing his phone and bringing up an old picture. "I mean, take a peek here. That was right before she left Chicago, when she was nine. That was the last time I saw her before all of this happened. She never grew up to me!"

"She really still is that innocent little girl to you, isn't she...?", she said, her eyes widening a bit as Phil continued to go on.

"There are days where all I see is that little girl...then there are others where I see her for what she has become now, and it scares me, how strongly I feel for her. It scares me, how much she makes me look at her that way now. I've never been one to admit to being afraid of anything but..."

_"Oh honey..."_, she said, placing her hand on top of his. Lost in her trying to help AJ get through her own pain, she never stopped to realize what all of this was doing to Phil, mentally and emotionally. She could practically feel the confliction reverberating from his body. She knew that he loved that girl, more than anything, that much was clear as day. He just didn't know **how** to love her. That was his problem, she figured. It was going to plague him until he sat himself down and really, deeply thought it all through.

"I wish there was some way that I could help you. Honestly", she offered up, giving his hand a squeeze. They really were long lost lovers. AJ wanted him and made no bones about it. He wanted AJ desperately, but his mental blocks obviously made that difficult. Eve really did want to help in any way she could. Phil had been nothing but sweet and kind to her ever since she came into the company, and she regarded AJ as the little sister she never had. It pained her to see the two of them on different sides of the fence like this.

He nodded his head, understanding that it was all on him. Feeling his eyes become a bit misty, he turned away, not wanting Eve to see him defenseless and unhinged; he was CM Punk, he wasn't supposed to get overly emotional about these kinds of things. Turning to look back at her, she had the biggest, most sympathetic look on her face. He gave her a weak smile. "Thank you. But I'm going to find a way to figure everything out...no matter how long it takes me."

* * *

Phil left the small cafe feeling a tiny bit better about the circumstances that surrounded him at every turn. Re-entering the hotel, he made his way past the front desk and quietly entered the elevator, wanting nothing more right now than to get back to his room and fall face first onto his bed and stay there. He didn't notice, however, a small, delicate looking hand stop the door from closing completely. He looked up to find...

"April", he said, the shock evident in his voice. He wasn't expecting to see her at all, and he thanked the lucky stars above for this chance to try and rebuild the bridge that he had blown up. He saw how her eyes lit up for the briefest of moments, before they hardened and she tried to give him her best glare. It took quite a bit of his will power to not laugh at how silly she looked.

"Phillip", she said as coldly as she could. She was trying her hardest to be completely upset with him, and he knew that this was probably going to be his best shot at getting through to her, at least for now.

"Listen", he started off slowly. "About the other night..."

"Don't...just don't" she said somewhat firmly. "You said all you needed to say."

He cringed and felt his chest tighten at her words dropping. His window of opportunity was closing much quicker than he had anticipated. So he threw something out there that he hoped would catch her attention. "I uh...I was wondering if you wanted to...you know, go to the comic book store later...then maybe go grab some cheeseburgers and...talk..."

Her ears pricked up at the words _'comic book store'_ and _'cheeseburgers'_...two of her favorite things in the entire world. They were practically kryptonite to her. But she knew what he was trying to do...and she hated to admit to herself that it was almost working. She glanced briefly at him and caught his pleading eyes, then quickly looked away again. How could she turn him down? Even after what he had told her...she still found herself wanting to be in his presence at all times. _'No'_, she thought._ 'Not today.'_

"I'm sorry, Phillip, but I've already made plans with Nick to go out tonight", she stated. She could practically feel the air leave his lungs and feel his chest sink in. This wasn't easy on her, either. The words sounded so foreign, so dirty. It was a Friday night; if she wasn't with Kaitlyn or the rest of the girls, she almost always spent it with Phil reading comics, playing video games and just talking. It had been going on like that ever since he agreed to become her pro. Why did this have to be so hard on her...

"Oh", he breathed out. "Well then. I uh...", he trailed off, the words becoming hard to find. "I hope you and Ziggles have a good time then", he forced out through gritted teeth._ 'Because I'll kill him if he hurts or upsets you',_ he thought to himself.

The door opened and she found herself finally being able to look him in the eye without turning away. "Thank you", she said before quickly exiting the elevator, running down the hall to her room and entering, slamming the door shut just as he walked out of the elevator himself. He sighed as he dug his hands into his pockets and walked to his own room in the opposite direction.

"I really am a fucking dumbass", he muttered to himself, echoing Colt's sentiments. But just then, as he kept walking, he looked up and saw Kaitlyn walking toward him, heading in the other direction. A light bulb clicked in his head, and a devilish grin spread across his lips. "Hey Kaitlyn", he greeted her, stopping in the middle of the hall.

"Hey Punk", she greeted back, giving him a skeptical look. No doubt she knew what was going on, he silently reasoned. She shook her head then smiled at him. "What's up?"

"There's something I wanted to ask you..."

* * *

"I can't believe you managed to con me into doing this."

A lopsided grin spread across Phil's lips as he offered up a shrug of his shoulders as they sat down. It had taken much, much pleading, but after finding out where April and Nick were going, he managed to drag her along with him. He didn't care if what he was doing was practically classified as 'aggressive stalking'. He didn't trust Mr. Zig Zag with April's emotions, especially considering she was still reeling from everything that had happened. He knew she was doing this to spite him. He knew her emotions were making the decisions for her, and that's what had him worried right now.

"Seriously, I feel so wrong doing this. You're asking me to spy on my best friend."

"You make it sound so dirty."

"That's because it is dirty, Punk!"

He rolled his eyes at her statement, then turned his attention to the dance floor, looking for any sign of the two people in question. All he saw, however, was nothing but a bunch of sweaty bodies gyrating to and fro, grinding on each other and, frankly, looking like idiots in his eyes. He looked back at Kaitlyn, looking uneasy with this whole thing as she sipped her martini. "Listen, if you're really that uncomfortable, Kait, then you can go. I'll deal with this on my own."

A sympathetic smile spread across her full pink lips. Despite his somewhat illegal and totally unorthodox way of checking in on AJ, she knew he meant well and only had her best interests at heart. She just wished it hadn't taken him breaking her heart to prove how much he really cared about her, because no matter how much he'd deny it, that girl was his world.

"No no, I agreed to help, so I'm sticking it out, no matter how weird this whole thing is", she said light heartedly, nudging Phil with her shoulder, while a smile graced his lips for the first time since they got here. "Any sign of them?"

He shook his head dismissively. "No, nothing yet. I thought I saw a dude with hair just like Ziggles' but it was just some shmuck getting shot down by a group of gals. Apparently bleached blonde hair is in these days...", he commented, watching a few other guys with said hair waltz on by as if they were King Shit of the dancefloor. "What about you? You find anything?"

"No...there's too many people on the damn floor, and you know AJ's a tiny girl, so she'd get lost in the crowd easily", she murmured, polishing off her drink. "Ooh, he's kinda cute..."

"Focus, Celeste", Phil muttered, not caring to notice how red in the face Kaitlyn had gotten at the dropping of her birth name. "You can dig your claws into some poor unsuspecting bastard later, okay?"

"Everyone knows that I hate being called by my birth name...", she grumbled under her breath.

"Yeah yeah, just like everyone would love to know that you've got lips tattooed on your ass", he kept going on, this time earning himself a punch to the shoulder. "Don't act like April hasn't told me these things."

"Me and her are going to have a serious talk about what is and isn't appropriate to tell your would be soulmate", she whispered to herself so that Phil wouldn't hear any of it. Tracing the outline of her glass with her finger, she kept looking around the dance floor, and that was when she saw it, right smack dab in the middle of everything; Nick and AJ. And they were very, very close. Too close, almost. She knew that Phil would lose his shit if he saw them like that.

"Phil..."

"I see them", he said, his eyes narrowing, lips forming a straight line as he watched from afar. "He better keep his damn hands were I can see them..."

The pair watched as Nick and AJ danced for what seemed like forever. Her hands were all over him, his all over her, and the whole sight made Kaitlyn feel even more uneasy, but it was nothing compared to what Phil was feeling. His right eye kept twitching and he looked like he was ready to murder Nick on the spot. But just when everything had seemingly stopped...

"Oh no...", Kaitlyn muttered to herself. She could see the stars in AJ's eyes as she threw her hands around Nick's neck, the lust and wanting in his own eyes was too hard to ignore. She knew what was going to happen next, though she wished it wouldn't. The next thing she knew, the two of them were playing dueling tongues with no end in sight.

Looking to Phil, what she saw just about broke her heart. He just looked so...crestfallen. So hurt. So broken. His eyes were vacant and so was the look on his face. It was as if his world had just come crumbling down around him. She didn't know what to say to him.

"I...I'm sorry."

"Yeah", he muttered. She could see his lip quivering to the point where he bit down hard on it. "So am I."

With that, he stood up and left, and she made no attempt to stop him. She knew he needed to be left alone.

AJ removed herself from Nick's lips and smiled up at the bleached blonde superstar. Her eyes then drifted over his shoulder and that was when she saw Phil...he was leaving. 'Did he just see all of that?', she wondered to herself, feeling like she had just gotten sucker punched in the gut at the sight of him. Her heart began aching as she watched him leave.

"Phil..."

She went to make a move towards him, but Nick's grasp was too tight on her. It didn't matter, though.

He was gone.

* * *

**What happens next? **

**Is Phil really gone for good?**

**Is Ziggles being true in his feeling for AJ?**

**What about NXT?**

**How does April feel about all this?**

**Find out next chapter...it's Foxy's turn at the plate. Hope you all enjoyed! =)**


	14. she wanted to take him back to her room

** Hi everyone! Red Foxy here with another update on the Punk and AJ front. :) **

**On another note, let's all send positive energy Phil's way so he heals up fast and perfectly after his knee surgery. Punk needs to be able to keep his title and keep showing us all that he is truly, THE BEST IN THE WORLD!** **I was horrified hearing this news, but it seems the docs believe he's in great shape and will recover completely! YEAH PUNK!**

**Also, here's a story suggestion for you, by My Chaos Theory - In Fate's Hands. You'll love it, it is the sequel to her first story End of Heart Ache.**

* * *

He could NOT believe she would do something as irresponsible this... on purpose, no less! If he hadn't witnessed her putting Kaitlyn over, he would never have believed it. How, _how_ _could she_? After all their hard work and perseverance... She had been a shoe-in for the top spot, and a position on the main roster! He had wanted that for her so badly. Everything was shot to shit, now. He was furious, and rightfully so. She threw it all away out of spite, and he knew it. He wasn't stupid... this was all on him.

Things had collapsed like a twenty story building between them over the past weeks since he pushed her so abruptly from his personal life. Everything had eventually spiralled into chaos, and good old Nick was only all too willing to help her repair her broken heart. That was one of the worst parts, watching Nick slip in like a scavenger, after Punk had inadvertently made the kill... He knew they had gone out on a few dates, and it was always above board. Not one of his spies ever told him Nick was anything less than a perfect gentleman with April. No funny business at all. Of course, Nick didn't know what he did, and when it came time to cross that bridge, as much as Phil hoped everything would go well for her, he wanted Nick to fall flat on his face. If anything, he was quite certain April would probably deny him entry to the keep until he got bored and moved on. At least, that was Phil's _hope_. Who knew how persuasive Ziggles could be when he wanted something bad enough.

The only thing Punk could reasonably do was sit back and watch from the sidelines. He was no longer her pro, so he had no excuse to be with her anymore. He didn't know what hurt the most... Luke and Colt had been right to berate him over his treatment of the girl. Then there was Eve... so helpful and kind. She was the one who had him almost say fuck it... he was going to make AJ his in _every _way. There wasn't a day now that he didn't know she was all grown up, and the reaction his body had to being close to her gave that away in spades. Oh how he wanted her. It wasn't even a question for him anymore. The only question he had was how? Every time the issue came up, he would close off and push the woman away.

She made it backstage before he did, practically turning tail and running out before he could question her, and to be certain, she was sure he had plenty of those. She knew if he started interrogating her about the whole thing, it would deteriorate into a hornet's nest, and she didn't feel like getting stung over and over again. She needed to give him his out... make it easier for him to walk away and get her out of his life for good. He had made it abundantly clear he didn't feel the same as she did, and there was no way she was going to cling to him like a love sick teenager. As much as it tore her heart to pieces, she had to do it. Set him free... free of any and all feelings of responsibility to her whatsoever. It had to be now.

* * *

He caught sight of her just before she was able to escape through the Diva's locker room door.

"AJ!" He hollered after her, his voice strained and impatient. "_April_, stop _right_ there!"

Other people along the hallway all jumped, startled at the harshness of his tone.

Hearing his determined footsteps fast approaching, she glanced back at him, her face etched in sorrow. Her eyes were promptly snared by his pointed, serious gaze, but she was too fast... grabbing the door handle, she whisked herself safely inside.

She was shielded from his wrath for the moment, she figured...

When Punk started beating his fists on the door she leapt from the door in fright. He was angry, she knew he would be. He was out there in the hall having _every_ idea as to why she bailed. She knew he was on to her, and she knew he wasn't about to let that slide. He never let_ anything_ just slide... His voice boomed, demanding in more than a few colourful words for AJ to present herself before him, to no avail. She wasn't going out there...she wasn't...

"You won't come out, so get ready! I'm coming in! Just remember,_ I warned you_."

"Yeah, right, you warned me." She replied, laughing at him now. Like he was coming in here. He wouldn't are do that.

That was when the door was pushed open, his strength obviously greater than that of the little Diva, thrusting her further into the locker room.

"Phil no!"

Several of the other Divas in various states of undress shrieked and covered up as best they could as bodies, clothes and towels went flying across the place in a flurry of activity the moment they set eyes on CM Punk marching through their private space. Eve was flabbergasted at the fact Phil had just forced his way inside the women's locker room, oblivious to everyone else around them but AJ.

April rushed passed the girls and into the changing and shower area with Punk fast after her, his eyes not deviating from his obvious point of interest. Girls screeched at him, threw things at him, hid from him... he didn't even register that they were there. The man had talcum powder sprinkled across his black tee shirt along his back, neck and hair.

"AJ, what the fuck?" He rounded the corner to find she'd barricaded herself behind another door. He started to pound on this one too, becoming further irritated and a whole lot more desperate. It only took him a few moments to come to the realization that his hard ass tactics weren't winning him any popularity contests. Especially after breaking into and waltzing through the Diva's locker room. He knew he'd be disciplined for this one.

Dragging his hand through his short, brown hair, Phil sucked back his temper and tried again.

"_April_... please come out here... we have to talk. I'm not leaving this spot until you come out here and speak with me. _Please, sweetheart_."

Hearing him call her sweetheart... in that adorable, low, raspy voice to boot, well... she couldn't stop the fluttering in her tummy. Damn him for knowing exactly what made her tick! She knew she couldn't hide from him forever, and she had to clear the air between them once and for all.

He heard the door unlock, and there she was. He'd forgotten why he'd been so angry the moment he saw that wounded look in her beautiful, dark brown eyes.

"I...I..." When he tried to touch her, she shied away from his hand. Okay, he deserved that.

"Phil, it's done. We're no longer partners so you don't have to chase after me all the time. I can handle myself now."

"Listen, I'm trying to understand here... why, why would you throw away such an opportunity? If you did that because of me..."

She couldn't even look at him now, and she certainly couldn't lie to him. Biting her lip nervously, she swallowed the lump in her throat as she continued to fidget in front of him. "I did what I had to, Phil, for you _and me_. It's time you let me go, all of me."

_She was telling him to get out of her life...this was a lot worse than he thought._

He stood there, still in his wrestling gear, his hands planted firmly at his hips, head bowed and eyes imploring her to look at him. "April, come on, just because we can't be what _you_ want us to be, doesn't mean we can't still be the friends we've always been..." _He just blew up another potential bridge this time... bang, bang..._

Her eyes narrowed with contempt as she started out through the main area of the Diva's locker room again, and out into the hall. They started screaming again and this time he stopped when a slinky, red, lacy bra hit him in the head and wrapped right around his face. Peeling it away, he flung it aside.

"Listen up, Ladies... There's nothing in this room that I haven't seen before, _personally_." He glowered at a few of them above the din. "Now shut the fuck up and grow up, you're giving me a god damned headache!"

Her arms were rigid and her little fists clenched at her sides. She had to put some space between them before she lost her was always making her lose her a few quick steps, she found herself running from him now. Around one corner, two, into an area she didn't know... she didn't care, just as long as it was far away from him.

"April! _Stop_!"

He was still chasing after her, and she was at the point where she couldn't run any longer. Turning on her heel she came to a sudden stop, and Phil almost ran right over her.

"Why can't you just leave me the hell alone?" She asked him, whipping herself about face, her voice ragged, pained and accusatory.

"I... I," He didn't want to answer that one. He would have to tell the truth, and right now, a lie would be better.

"This is why we need to stay away from each other... you made it very clear how you _don't _feel about me. I'm not a stupid idiot."

"Oh hell..." He released a heavy, self deprecating sigh. He started to tap his foot nervously and had his hands back on his hips. "No one ever said you were stupid, okay? Stop fucking talking like that, it pisses me off."

"Want to know what pisses me off, Punk? The fact that you won't acknowledge that you share the same feelings as me, and then when I try to move on from the heartbreak that I call YOU, there you are, blocking my path! Right in my face again, ripping my heart out of my chest while it's still beating, and getting in between me and my right to live my life and find happiness with someone else!" She didn't believe one word that had come out of her mouth.

"You were with Ziggler! What does that tell you? Not to mention the fact that you were both ossified beyond reason! Tell me, little Miss Mendez... what would have happened if Zig Zag had followed you into your room that night, instead of me?" He was right in her face now, his nose barely touching her, his darkened eyes squinted, daring her to answer that one burning question. "Go on... let's hear it! Do you think he would have just let you go to bed alone? Not touched you, not wanted to climb right in beside you, and then god knows what would have been next!"

"But..."

"But nothing!" He interrupted her, his tirade nowhere near finished. "I'll tell you what would have happened, honey. I'm a guy, I have those urges too. But when you're drunk, those urges can be impossible to control. You, April, would have been in a very, very scary and uncomfortable spot."

"Nick would never have forced himself on me!"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

He was smug now, and she hated that.

"No, I don't think so." She defied him, crossing her arms over her chest she leaned against the production crate, confident she had him there. No, Nick would never do such a thing, even Phil knew that.

"April... come on. You were drunk yourself, and ready to fall into the man's arms. You didn't see yourself when I got to the bar. It was mind blowing."

"I would not have slept with him! Not that who I sleep with is ever going to be any of your damned business!"

"It's my business when I see you drunk, April! You aren't capable of making decisions in that state of mind. No one is, not even Zig Zag." He reached for her, hooking his fingers just under her chin, and lifted her eyes to his. "Look, I know we have different ideas on what this is," he motioned his fingers between them both, "But April, sweetheart, it doesn't mean that I stopped caring about you. I have very strong feelings for you. I do."

"But... but... they aren't strong enough, Phil." She sadly said, wringing her hands together. "You told me yourself, you can't be my prince."

He shuffled on his feet, avoiding her eyes now. He wanted to just grab her and give her the kiss of her life. "April, ah fuck... you have no idea what this is doing to me. None!"

"Then why the hell are you so hell bent on breaking my heart?"

He didn't have an answer to that. He didn't want to break her heart. He dragged his teeth across his bottom lip and leaned himself on the crate as well. Her eyes were glassy, but she was defiant and proud, holding her head up and demanding he answer her. That was his girl. _His girl_...

He let his guard down for a moment. Reaching over to him, she grabbed onto the loose piece of white tape still wrapped around his wrist. She was going to show him just how good she could make him feel. Holding his hand in hers, she began inspecting the lines on his large, open palm. He stood there silently watching her, curious as to what could possibly be racing through her mind at that moment. He watched her though half lidded eyes, as she unwrapped the loosened binding, revealing more of his tattooed skin. When the tape peeled away, her finger tips lightly brushed across his sweaty skin. She could tell he felt it too, because his entire body gave a slight shudder under her soft touch. Smiling now, she looked up at him to find his eyes were closed and his shoulders had slackened some. It was cute to her, how hot he looked when his eyes were shut and cradled by those dark shadows beneath them, and the way he would run his tongue over his lip ring like he did. It made her own heart melt even more, as she watched him relax, noticing his hair had gotten longer now, and it seemed to be growing in light brown instead of the black that it had been. She liked it when he left his hair alone. Even the fact that he'd been showered with talcum powder and various other girly things made her smile. This was the best he had smelled after a match in...ever!

She continued to rub and massage at his hand and wrist, studying how his face had completely relaxed now, all the deep angry stress lines had disappeared and his breathing was back to normal. When he was like this, she knew he loved her. This was the real Phil, the one she missed so much. Circling her arms around his waist she got up on her toes to reach his face, leaving an innocent kiss on his scratchy jaw.

Phil's eyes popped open and he caught her in his arms. Pinning her to the crate, he gently lifted her up, settling her butt on the top of it. He buried his nose into her hair, his hands holding her fast along her hips. She smelled like vanilla and coconuts... Maybe _he_ was drunk. He had to be, to be doing this with her. That or insane. Was he insane?

April grabbed one of his ears in each hand and dragged him in to steal a kiss. Phil didn't resist her this time. Her mouth careened over his, tasting him again for the first time in weeks. She was awash in desire for him, and she made sure he knew it. She nuzzled along his bottom lip, slipping across his metal lip ring and the cool sensation is gave as she playfully sucked and nipped. When she felt his hands at her back, pulling her closer, his tongue dipped into her mouth for the first time. The hungry growl deep inside his throat stirred her insides into a frenzy as she spiked her hands up over his shoulders and into his hair. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms hooked over his shoulders and he lifted her, their lips still connected as he backed up and pushed his way into an empty office, kicking the door shut with his foot.

Phil stumbled across the room half backward to a large arm chair and fell back into it, both of them bouncing a little, and AJ riding high on his hips, settled snugly into his lap. She traced a line along his ear with her fore finger, then gripped at the back of his neck as their tongues osculated from one to the other. It was Phil who pulled back first, sucking on her bottom lip once, and then again before finally breaking apart. Her animated, twinkling eyes had nothing but adoration and love swirling inside them for him. This was something he couldn't avoid seeing for himself now.

She threaded one of her hands into his and kissed the back of his hand. "You know you're my soul mate, don't you?"

His mind was still clouded from her sweet, sensual assault, and the corners of his mouth ticked up into a grin. April touched his cheek with her index finger.

"There's the dimples. God, I love you."

One of his large, tattooed arms had circled her waist, keeping her snug against him. The other weaved tattooed fingers through her silky, mahogany coloured hair, drawing it out and letting it fall gently across her shoulders. He let his hand slide down over her shoulder, and that was when AJ took his hand and placed his palm over her breast, molding his fingers there tightly.

"I, I know..." Came his hoarse reply. He rested his head on her chest, listening to her breathe, and the staccato beat of her excited heart. "I love you, April...but..."

Her phone started buzzing at that moment. Reaching into her pocket, she peeked at the message.

"Oh no..." He face fell and she almost looked annoyed.

"What's the matter?"

"I have a stupid date with Nick in a half hour."

She could see his eyes grow dark immediately. Climbing off Phil's lap she started to text Nick back.

"I'm cancelling."

"No, don't do that. Go, go on your date, April." He told her, pushing himself up from the chair. It was like fate had kicked in and brought him back to his senses. "I have to go anyway, I'm meeting up with a few of the guys at the hotel."

"Phil, wait..." She hooked him by the arm, a sad, pleading look in her eyes. "You just said you, you loved me... and you want me to go on a date with Nick? That doesn't make any sense!" She was blinking at him in disbelief, and she started nervously chewing on her perfect, pink lips... _the other shoe_, she thought. "I wanted to take _you_ back to my room..."

"Of course I love you April, we're practically family!" He figured that would be the easiest way to make the save. He still couldn't believe he'd lost control that badly. He could feel the sudden stab of anxiety in his gut, knowing he was making a huge mistake, and knowing he was pushing someone he loved into something neither one of them really wanted.

"Siblings don't kiss each other like you kissed me... they don't kiss at all!" She was furious, thinking she had finally gotten through his thick skull. Her voice was growing more shrill with each syllable. "Know what? I'm going out with Nick tonight, and you know what else? I think I may invite him back for a night cap!" She screamed at him. "If you won't love me, another man will!"

Phil winced, shrinking away little by little from her wrath as she stomped around him and yelled before storming out the door, slamming it behind her.

That had to be the most stupid thing he had ever done. She wanted to take him back to her room...

_Where r u?_

_x_

_im at the hotel, why?_

_x_

_I just fucked up royally_

_x_

_AJ?_

_x_

_yea..._

_x_

_get your stupid ass up here, rm 334_

_x_

* * *

_**Now I hand the baby back to my fiction hubby to feed, lol. **  
_

**_So, will she invite Nick back to her room?  
_**

**_Will Phil stop going one step forward, two steps back?  
_**

_**Who did Punk text at the end? Any guesses?**  
_


	15. not what he expected

**Hey y'all...White Firebird with the new update. Thanks for all the reviews and comments and the like. We love seeing and reading them. =)**

**And the good news is that Phil's going to be just fine in a few weeks...enough time for him to gear up and kick Dwayne's ass at the Royal Rumble! Then he truly will prove to everyone that he's the BEST IN THE WORLD. **

**Also make sure to check out Foxy's sequel to Take Me With You, it's called Dream Come True. It's just begun and it's going to be an awesome story! With that...enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

Eve had to admit...she had _never_ seen Phil look as upset, distressed and pissed off as she was seeing him now. His face was a cocktail of conflicting emotions, his breathing was incredibly heavy, his shoulders rising with each labored breath, and his hands were tightly wound together into fists that looked like they were breaking the skin of his palms. The sadness soon faded from his features, however, and was replaced solely by rage. And that was when she saw him do what she had been expecting since the moment he entered her room.

His fist sailed into the wall and she swore she felt the entire room shake.

She watched him do it three more times before she noticed blood trickling from his inked knuckles, and that was when she finally stepped in and stopped him from causing more bodily harm to himself. She knew he was upset, yes, but she didn't think it would be to _this_ extent...

"Jesus, Phil! You're going to break your hand if you keep going at it, stop! Stop now!", she exclaimed, grabbing him by his good wrist and leading him over to the bed, shoving him down. "I will not sit here and let you kill yourself over this, even if it is, by far, the dumbest thing you have ever done! I just won't!"

Phil lowered his head in utter shame as Eve muttered some colorful words under her breath. He then watched her stalk into the bathroom, presumably to get something for his now throbbing hand, which was bleeding more than he thought. He snorted as he looked the other way while Eve returned with some white medical tape and began wrapping his hand. He was surprised he didn't leave a damn hole in the wall, he had it it that hard. Images of April then began to race through his thoughts, and he let out a sudden scream of anger, startling Eve and causing her to scoot back a few inches.

_'This is going to be tougher than I thought'_, Eve thought to herself as she took a good, hard look at Phil. There was going to be no such pity, no feeling sorry for him this time around. He had lost that the second he told her what happened only an hour ago. So she let him have it. "What the fuck is your damn problem, Phil!?"

He didn't answer, much like she had expected. He averted his eyes from her hardened, almost murderous gaze. He was in deep shit with Eve, and he knew it. But whatever she had to say to him, he knew it wouldn't compare to the hell he was putting himself through on the inside. "Honestly, Phil, I have **no** clue what to do with you anymore! I don't even think **you** know what to do with you anymore! Pissed off doesn't even begin to describe how I feel towards you right now!"

She heard him mutter something incoherent under his breath, and her ears pricked up upon hearing his muffled words. "What was that, Phillip? Do you have something to say to me?", she challenged, knowing full well that she was pushing his buttons to the extreme right now. But maybe having his buttons pushed would be what he needed right now, and that's just what she was going to keep doing.

"Are you going to say anything? Anything at all?", she asked, continuing to challenge him, trying to get him to even look in her direction. He wouldn't give her that. "I can sit here all night, Phil. So either you can say something, or I'm not letting you go anywhere. Your choice", she offered up, finally getting his undivided attention on her.

"Like hell I'm staying here all night...", she could hear him mutter, his eyes quickly going back to his hands resting in his lap. She could see some of the blood begin to seep through the bandages on his hand, and quickly made another trip to the bathroom to retrieve more tape. Phil took that as his chance to leave, standing up and speed walking over to the door, forgetting that it was locked as he jiggled the handle.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, _Punk?_", she shrieked, grabbing onto the back of his shirt and, using all her strength, managed to pull him away and back onto the edge of the bed. "I told you, you're not going anywhere!"

"You can't just fucking keep me hostage, Eve!", he bellowed, making direct eye contact with her for only the second time. His face was a dark crimson shade, and she could see the veins begin to pop out of his neck to the point where they looked ready to burst. Oh, was he ever pissed. "That's not how it fucking works!"

"Then tell me how it works, Phil! You're the smart one, aren't you? Explain to me how you think it's perfectly fine to jerk that poor girl around like a yo-yo and toy with her emotions like you have!", she screamed back, her words cutting him like a hot knife through butter. "You're unbelievable, you know!?"

His lips formed a straight line and he narrowed his eyes, before bowing his head once more. He didn't need this shit right now. He was plenty pissed off at himself, he didn't need Eve to continue to make him feel the way he did at the moment. All he wanted to do was just crawl into a hole and stay there for a while.

"Don't hang your head and think you're getting any sympathy from me, Phil! Before, when you were figuring everything out, sure, I cut you slack. But then you go and do what you did, you make that poor girl think that you feel the same way that she does, and then you rip her heart out again?! I'd be surprised if she ever wanted to talk to you again!"

"I told you that I fucked up royally, all right!?", he finally yelled back. "I pushed someone I love more than anything into a situation neither of us wanted! I lost control! And now that blonde headed vulture is going to pick the pieces up and take advantage of her! She's gonna throw away her fucking innocence to **ZIGGLER!** And it's not gonna mean a damn thing! You think I want that for her!?"

"Why did you do-", Eve went to say but Phil held his finger up to hush her. He wasn't anywhere close to being done.

"I told you that I was scared of her, Eve", he then whispered, switching gears somewhat. He looked at his busted hand and shook his head shamefully. What he was about to say next, he never admitted to anyone that wasn't his sisters or Colt. "Do you know the real reason why April scares me, Eve?" When she shook her head in response, he sighed. Biting down on his lip ring, he knew that there was no going back now.

"The real reason why she scares me as much as she does...you've seen the women I've been with, some of them at least...", he started on, sitting back down on the bed, motioning for Eve to take a seat as well. This was going to be quite a bit to take in. "Maria...Beth...Amy...they were all great, in their own ways. But it was the same thing as always...we'd start off hot and heavy...then I'd get too heavy and attached, because hell, you said it yourself, I'm the King of Romance around these parts..."

He stopped himself for a moment to catch his breath. This was harder than he thought it'd be. "Anyways...I would love those girls like they had never been loved by anyone else...and I really did love them...but after a while, it was just...I never got it back in return. And when it got to that point, I would just...ignore them and focus on my career, because it was something I could handle. And then April came skipping back into my life...and when she told me that I was her first love, that she _loved_ me...it really did scare me. I spent all that time in those relationships looking for the love to be reciprocated, and here was April being so open about it, and we weren't even dating. It rattled me, that someone I wasn't dating, hadn't even seen in _thirteen years_, could love me like that."

"I had wanted to hear those words so bad in those previous relationships, but when I heard it from April...it scared me shitless."

Immediately, Eve felt her eyes soften and become a bit glassy; she had never seen Phil be so open and honest and intimate. She knew he had it in him, somewhere, and whether she wanted to admit it right now or not, her heart broke for him. It still didn't change the fact that he was a massive dumbass, but it lessened her anger towards him right now. "_Oh Phil..._", she began, reaching over to take his good hand in hers. "It must have taken a lot for you to open up like that to someone like me..."

"What do you mean, to someone like you?', he quickly questioned.

"Well...I mean, I'm not exactly family, or Colt or even Luke...I know that we're friends and all, but-"

Her words were cut off when Phil moved toward her and wrapped his tattooed arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. She was a bit startled at first, but she soon returned the hug, feeling his head upon her shoulder as she rubbed his back in a circular motion.

He pulled away to look her in the eye with nothing but sincerity. "You're more than just a friend to me, Eve. You're like family. You've always been one of my favorites since you entered the company...and I don't just say that about anyone."

Eve felt her eyes begin to grow misty. He was such a sap, but she knew that when he said something like this, he meant it. She hugged him again, drawing a chuckle from him as he did the same. "I can't thank you for all the help you've given and, knowing me, will continue to give as far as everything with April goes."

"Oh shush, you big softy!", she exclaimed with a laugh. "You're welcome. But don't think for a second that I'm still not a little upset with you", she said, wagging her finger in his face. "What you did was just wrong, but we can talk about it when you've got your head clear and your hand is healed", she then murmured, reaching for her phone.

"Who're you texting?", he asked her as she went to work.

"Oh, I wasn't kidding when I said you weren't going anywhere", she said, watching his eyes grow a bit wide. "I'm texting Nattie, Layla, Michelle and Kait. Just because **we're** done talking for now doesn't mean the rest of the girls won't want to give you a piece of their minds. So it's gonna be an impromptu girls night out. And you get to come along for the ride."

* * *

Rolling his eyes, Phil placed his hand on his chin in an attempt to keep his head propped up while the rest of the girls droned on and on about the situation he found himself embroiled in currently, while Eve sat next to him, keeping relatively silent as Nattie now took her turn to rip into him.

"I've seen you do some stupid things in the time that I've known you, Phil, but damn, I didn't think you'd ever top that one time in Atlanta...", she began to say before his head shot up and he glared at her.

"I told you that we were never to speak of that again", he quickly said, giving Nattie the death stare. When she began to divulge just what happened, he groaned and pulled his Cubs hat over his face, as if trying to hide himself from the girls was actually going to happen.

"I just want to know, as does everyone else sitting here, why you keep putting that sweetheart of a girl through so much hell", Nattie continued, taking a sip of her beer. "What has she ever done to you to deserve that? Love you?"

Phil looked to Eve, who had a small grin tugging at her lips, a look on her face that said _'You brought this on yourself'_. Shaking his head, he really, now more than when he and Eve had their shouting match earlier, just wanted to crawl into a hole and not return. "It's all very complicated, Nat..."

"Bullshit!", Kaitlyn interjected. "It's only complicated because you're making it that way!"

His gaze then snapped towards the winner of NXT season three. He knew better right now than to get into it with April's best friend. Shaking his head, he opted not to respond to her jabs, sinking back into his seat, sipping on his water while Layla took the stage.

"If you really were the King of Romance, you'd have manned up by now and loved her like she loves you", she said in her lilting British accent. Phil found himself looking at the letters tattooed on the bottom of his fingers. He never, ever thought about getting any of his ink removed, but god, did he want those letters gone more than anything right now...

"Now you're letting her go out with Nick. Nick! I mean, don't get me wrong, he's a nice guy for the most part...but he's a known womanizer! He's going to prey on AJ!", Layla continued, her accent becoming shrill.

"He's been nothing but a complete gentleman every time I've spied on them", Michelle then chimed in. "So maybe he's changed his ways? Did it occur to any of you that his feelings for AJ might actually be genuine?"

Phil felt like ripping the skin off of his body upon hearing the words leave Michelle's mouth. It was bad enough that she was on yet another date with him, but now he had to possibly deal with the fact that he might actually really care for April? As if the shit storm wasn't bad enough at this rate...

"I don't know, girl", Nattie commented, finishing off her beer and grabbing herself one of the bottled waters that were in the middle of the large table. "Remember what he did to Maria when she was still with us?"

Phil snapped his head up and glared at Nattie again, who wilted somewhat under his gaze. "Sorry for bringing her up", she said timidly. He took his cap off and ran a hand through his hair, letting out an emphatic sigh. There were a million and one better things that he could be doing right now than being shot at by Eve's firing squad, like spying on AJ and Nick again. His eyes then drifted over to Michelle, who was sharing a laugh with Layla over something. A thought crossed his mind...

"Hey, McCool, if you're here with us, who the hell is spying on the two of them?", he asked her. "You didn't leave them unsupervised, did you!?"

The blonde Texas native shook her head and smiled. "Of course not! I asked Alicia if she could take over tonight and she was happy to oblige. They've got a good set of eyes on them tonight, don't you worry Punk. I also gave her your number in case there was anything out of the norm to report...hope that's alright?"

He groaned inwardly, but nodded his head nonetheless. It was better than not knowing anything, he silently reasoned. Looking to Eve, he motioned that he wanted to get some air, and she took that as him wanting to escape for a moment. "Well, I'm gonna go get another round of drinks. Phil, would you mind helping me?", she asked, giving him his out.

"Anything to get away from here", he said, shooting the girls all death stares. "No offense", he then deadpanned as he scooted out of the table and waited for Eve to join him. Soon enough, the two of them were headed over to the bar. As he sat down on one of the stools and looked around while Eve ordered everyone's drinks, his eyes fell on the absolute last person he wanted to be seeing right now.

"Well well well...if it isn't Mr. CM Punk", the screechy voice rang out, popping the 'p' in his name sake. His blood began to boil instantly. "What's the holy rolling straight edge freak show doing in a place like this?"

Turning around in his seat to face her, a forced smile gracing his lips, he resisted every urge to rip Serena a brand new asshole right here in front of everyone. He saw that she was alone, which was no surprise to him at all. What did surprise him, though, not to mention piss him off even more, was that she had the nerve to wear one of the straight edge shirts he had given her when they started working together. "I'd ask you the same thing, but we all know that alcoholics love each other's company."

He then looked behind him and saw that Eve was chatting up the bartender, seemingly oblivious to what he was doing at the moment. **Perfect.** "You should really take that shirt off, you know. It's not cool to advertise blatant lies like that."

"And you should mind your damn business, you prick", Serena drunkenly slurred. "Contrary to what ya think, you don't control the universe and ya can't tell everyone what to do." She knocked back her shot of tequila and then, feeling bold, got in Phil's face and blew on him. The odor of the alcohol was enough to nearly make him gag, but he remained stone faced as he watched his former protégé make an ass out of herself.

"Don't get pissed at me because you slipped and lost NXT. I gave you every opportunity to succeed when I hand picked you to join my group...your failures are your own fault, and how you cope with them is disgusting and immoral", he spat at her, having finished what he wanted to say to her. He turned back around to get Eve's attention, but the next words out of Serena's mouth caused him and his heart to stop for a moment.

"Aw, what's the matter? Can't live with the fact that that little slut AJ's moving on from you to Dolph? Hey Punk, how's it feel knowing that your little childhood bitch is gonna get violated by Ziggler of all people? How's it feel?"

Whipping back around, he grabbed the glass she had been drinking from off the bar and slammed it back down, causing it to shatter into tiny pieces. He was red in the face and breathing heavy, bearing down on Serena while she shrank away, looking for a place to hide but not finding one. That's when he felt Eve's hand on his shoulder, trying in vain to pull him away before he did anything he regretted. "Phil...Phil!"

Eve's voice snapped him back to reality. He turned to face her, and she was motioning for him to leave with her. "She's not worth losing your cool like that", she said, shooting Serena the dirtiest of glares while the drunkard had a big grin on her lips. "Come on, forget her. Let's go."

"Yeah, take him away", Serena called out to the two of them. "Let that bastard live in shame over the fact that his little puppy dog isn't going to be so bright eyed and innocent anymore after Ziggler's done with her..."

_That did it._ Phil ripped himself from Eve's grasp and stalked back over to Serena, but before he could even say anything, Eve was in front of him and, to his surprise, she slapped the ever loving taste out of Serena's mouth, causing her to fall from her stool and to the floor with a thud. She then proceeded to grab him by the arm and drag him away again, back to their table, back to the girls...back to the firing squad.

"What the fuck was that all about?", he questioned aloud as they weaved through the crowd of people.

"I said it wasn't worth it for _you_ to lose your cool. I didn't say that_ I_ couldn't get a little slap happy though", she said, winking at him as they got to the table.

"Well I'll be damned...", he muttered as he sat back down.

* * *

Alicia entered the elevator, feigning surprise at seeing both Nick and AJ there. At the request of Michelle, she had spied on the two of them during their date to make sure everything was on the up and up, so that Phil wouldn't have an aneurysm. She made small chat with the two of them, and was surprised that Nick was nothing but a gentleman to AJ the entire time they were out. He held the door for her, offered her his coat, held her seat out for her, paid the tab...he treated her like the young lady she was. She couldn't believe it.

Watching the two of them exit, she stayed behind to watch Nick walk AJ to her room. Peeking from around the corner, she saw that the two of them had stopped at the door, and she leaned up to give Nick a peck on the cheek. She also looked like she was whispering something...Nick pulled back, looking surprised. Then the door opened...AJ stepped inside...and...Nick followed her.

Alicia's eyes grew wide, and immediately she dug her phone out and frantically began to text Phil.

_hey phil...it's alicia._

_x_

_what's up?_

_x_

_I have some news u need to know..._

_x_

_what happened?_

_x_

_april just invited nick back into her room...and he went..._

_x_

* * *

**Now I hand it back off to Foxy for the next update lol. What will happen next? Tune in to find out...**


	16. no one can have you but me

**Warning, scenes of extreme sexual nature, maybe. If you're lucky... and luck is for losers. ;) **

**Big thanks to XxPunkleexX for reading this and letting me know it didn't suck. :P  
**

**Also, thank you to Rod Stewart. I listened to Love Touch writing this. It sounded so good as a background for this chapter.  
**

* * *

"So ah... AJ... what kind of game did you want to play?" Nick asked, knowing full well the double entendra implied. His mouth curled into a cheeky grin as she slapped his arm.

"You know full well what I meant! Grab a controller, Nicky, I'm going to kick your cute ass." She glared at him, unapologetic. She would take no prisoners, just like Punk had taught her. Hmm, _Punk_...

Her challenge was met by a faux attempt at fear as he playfully backed away, holding up his arms in mock defence. He knew she was trying to fill a void. He knew what had happened earlier that day. The entire Divas locker room couldn't shut the hell up over it. He didn't know exactly what her relationship was with Punk, or had been, or what ever...all he knew now was that Punk fucked this up, and he was going to make good on the promise he made to himself. He really liked April Mendez, and if Punk tried to interfere now, he wouldn't be taking a back seat. He wasn't afraid of Phil Brooks one iota. Toe to toe, Nick knew he and Punk were on equal footing... but where AJ was concerned, he hoped that he was a few steps ahead of the Second City Saint. He was going to give April his best shot.

* * *

Punk just sat there staring at the text Alicia had sent, numb. That conjured up all sorts of unpleasant images in his mind. He knew deep down she would make him pay for rejecting her again. She was out to torture him in the worst possible way. Part of him figured she knew she was being watched, and everything she and Zig Zag did was being reported right back to him. This was all a show. The girl wasn't stupid, by any means. He really did deserve it, too. Funny, he thought, what would he have done if Nick hadn't called when he did? Would they have continued to make out in the office? Would they have ended up in his hotel room? He didn't know... all he did know what that Nick was in April's room with her, alone, right now.

* * *

Nick and AJ played retro Donkey Kong Country games for at least an hour or so, both seated on the couch, her legs curled up beside her, and her toes tucked just under his thigh. He made sure he kept his hands to himself. If there was anything Nick learned about women on the rebound, it was that you always, _always_ let them make the first move. In AJ's case, on the rebound from Punk meant she _had_ to come to him. He couldn't tip his hand unless she wanted him to. He imagined how nice it would feel to kiss her sweet, strawberry flavoured lips, and run his hands over her taut, smooth caramel skin. Their banter had been mainly small talk up until now, then things had suddenly fallen a little silent. He was going to find a way to break the ice some how.

"So, AJ, I heard about the fiasco in the ladies locker room today. Uh... what the heck was that all about?" He could see her stiffen up at the mere mention of it almost immediately.

"Phil's just being an ass, that's all. He doesn't want me to live my life, I guess. He thinks I should be holed up in some ivory tower." She shrugged, not really wishing to discuss Punk. Not with Nick, well, maybe not with Nick.

"Is he bothering you? If he is, I'll make sure he stops..."

"No, not anymore he isn't. He just, he just drives me insane is all. I mean, here I am, I throw my feelings out there and what does Mister holier than thou CM Punk do? He tosses them back at me without even as much as a thanks, but no thanks!"

Nick could tell this was a hot topic for her, and he continued to press the petite Diva's already overly sensitive buttons. "I'm sorry he did that to you AJ. Any man with eyes can see you're a beautiful, passionate woman. Only a fool could pass you up."

"Then I guess Phil's a fool." She muttered, clearly upset now.

Nick reached his hand out to her, gently brushing away the tears collecting in her dark, doe eyes. "Aw, come on now, don't cry... he isn't worth it AJ. He's just not."

Nick knew he had to play this right, or there wouldn't be a chance in hell of getting her to forget about Punk. If she could fall to pieces at the mention of the guy's name, she was in a lot deeper than he originally thought. Winning her trust was paramount.

"Listen, I'm going to throw this out there, well, because I need to know."

She looked over to him, her eyes questioning.

"I'm really interested in you... what are the chances of you giving a guy like me a try?"

"Nick... I, I don't know what to say." She murmured, wiping away the moisture from her cheeks. "I don't know. I would love to but, but..."

He heaved a long, audible sigh. Forcing a smile for her, he nodded in understanding. "Too soon?"

"Yeah. Right now, I just need a friend, if, if that's cool with you, I mean. I need time, you know?"

"Okay AJ, just don't forget what I said... if Punk's not willing to man up for you, I will."

She sniffed and smiled at him. He really was interested in her, she knew it but... but right now she just needed a friend. If Nick was willing to be patient and be her friend, that was cool. Leaning over to him, she gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. His hand coursed up into her hair and he tugged her close, allowing himself the luxury of burying his face into that thick, silky hair and inhaling as deeply as he could. He didn't know when he would get the opportunity again.

April stiffened a little at first, then relaxed against his body, sliding her hands up over the broad expanse of his shoulders. He smelled pretty damned good. There was no harm in smelling the man. Tipping her head up to meet his ghostly, pale blue eyes, she offered him a weak smile before reaching up and leaving another kiss, slanting her lips lightly across his.

* * *

"Phil... Phil!" Eve's voice carried over the music and jarred him back to reality. "Is that Alicia?"

"Yeah..." He started to fidget in his seat now. "She just saw them going into her room."

"What?" Natalia's voice rang out over everyone else's.

"That's what I said." His usually calm, smooth voice showed signs if strain now. He swallowed, hard. He could still taste her lips, and when he closed his eyes the memory of her perfect, tanned skin still lingered on his fingertips. This was unrelenting agony at it's worst.

"Are you just gonna sit there, Romeo?" Michelle leered at him, expecting Punk to disintegrate at any moment.

"Look, she's an adult that can make her own choices. It's not up to me who she takes to her room at night." He was trying so hard to not care. He really was.

"Do you hear yourself, Punk? You talk like you don't give a shit... but your body language is screaming something entirely different." Layla pointed out. She could see his jaw click every few moments, and the stress lines forming along his brow. He was a ticking time bomb. "You need to break up that little party. If you care about her at all, and I suspect that you do, get your ass up there, Brooks!"

His eyes snapped up to hers at the mention of his last name. No one ever called him that. "What, do you think just because I show up she's going to kick Nick to the curb and welcome me back with open arms? I don't feel like making a fool out of myself, thank you very much. She hates me right now."

Eve knew what was stopping him now. The fear of being shot down, the fear of loving her so much and not getting it back after throwing her feelings for him in her face again. She took his hand and squeezed.

"I get it, okay? You don't want to look like an idiot, but right now that girl is playing with fire, Phillip. Could you live with yourself if she gets in over her head, knowing you could have prevented a huge mistake?"

* * *

The door swung open unexpectedly, and in walked Phil, smirking. Both of them jumped away from each other in their seats. It looked to Phil like Nick almost had a stroke. She forgot he booked her room and had a key card for it. He knew she would forget that small detail.

"So kids, what's on the agenda this evening, huh?" He strode right up to them on the couch, and without warning planted his ass right between them. Stretching his arms out along the back of the couch he propped his feet on the coffee table, settling in for the long haul, as irritatingly as possible. "Got anything to drink up here, AJ? A diet soda, maybe?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" She gave him a withering glare. "How did you get a key to my room?"

"April, darling... this room was booked by me, hence, this is also, MY ROOM." He gladly informed her, his eyes shooting Nick a warning look.

Nick knew what Punk was doing, he was marking his territory. No problem. This wasn't over, not by a long shot.

"AJ, three's a crowd. Listen honey, how about I call you tomorrow and we can make some alone time plans? Preferably _away_ from your _jailer_."

"You don't have to go, Nick. Phil was _just leaving_." Her voice was dripping with anger as she glared at Punk. He gave her those puppy dog eyes of his that could melt her insides and turn her to mush. "Yes _you_ are leaving, Phillip. I have nothing I want to talk to you about."

"Yes _he_ does have to go," Phil piped up, pointing his finger at Nick, "and no, I'm _not_ leaving, we have some things to straighten out, _you and me_."

"Maybe you should go, Punk. AJ clearly doesn't want you here." Nick stood up, towering over Phil, but only for a moment.

Phil was standing up now, and both men were almost chest to chest. Fairly evenly matched, each stood his own ground. April could see this situation quickly falling apart. The last thing she wanted was a fist fight in her suite. She didn't know how far Nick would take it, but she knew damned well Phil would have no problem turning this into a biker bar room brawl.

"Guys, stop it! I'll call you in the morning Nick, I'm sorry."

"It's all right AJ," he stepped back, and gave her a small peck on the cheek, "I understand. We'll catch up later."

They both watched Nick leave, the door closing fast behind him.

"I thought he was never gonna leave." Phil breathed out, finally able to relax. He won.

"Wipe that nauseating smirk off your face, Phillip! I'm pissed at you!" She yelled at him.

"I just did you a huge favour, sweetheart. He _wasn't _worth it, believe me."

"How dare you barge in here and chase away my date? Who the hell do you think you are?" She ground out her words through clenched teeth now.

"If he was any kind of man at all, I wouldn't have been able to get rid of him so easily now, would I?" He challenged her. "I guess he wasn't all that serious about you, eh?"

"You smug bastard! You're impossible!" She screeched. "I'm beginning to think you have a split personality! Who the hell have I got today, Phil? Come on, who the hell it is this time?"

"Calm the fuck down, dwarf." His tone got cool and all business like. "I was saving you from yourself, April. Just like before, just like always. The only difference now is that you don't even have the excuse of being drunk this time. You invited him in here _stone cold sober_!"

"At least he _was_ invited, which is more than I can say for you!" She spat back. She wasn't about to concede to CM Punk. Oh, he would just love that...

"Nick doesn't have your best interest at heart, he's only out for himself!"

"Oh, and you aren't? What the hell is this, an intervention? Seems to me you made it very clear that you don't want me! At least with Nick isn't afraid to touch me!" She was literally seething, her fists were clenched so hard they were white.

That remark silenced him.

"What's wrong with you? Cat got your tongue, _Punk_?" She taunted him out right now, and poked her index finger hard against his shoulder. "Did I hit a nerve?"

"Don't push me, April..."

"Or what? What's the big bad ass CM Punk gonna do?" She paced around him in a circle, waving her arms about in grand, angry gesture. "I'll tell you what he'll do! Nothing! That what he always does! He puffs out his chest like a gorilla on the war path, and when it counts... when it really counts, he runs scared like a weak little child!"

That was it. If she wanted him, she was gonna get him. _All_ of him.

He grabbed her arms roughly, bringing her body flush against his. There wasn't any space left to breathe as he got down to her level, their noses almost touching. His green eyes narrowed, flickering with want as he licked at his lip ring. She could hear the lusty growl emerge from his throat. Without so much as a warning, he effortlessly picked her up and deposited her in the middle of the bed. She sat there, mesmerized as he stripped his shirt from his body and let it fall to the floor. Her eager eyes wandered across his colourful, hard muscled flesh, and she shyly bit at her lips in anxious expectation. When he unbuckled his belt, seductively sliding it from around his waist, she swallowed hard, feeling an electric jolt rush through her body. _Was this actually happening?_

Truthfully, yes, he had just scared the crap out of her, but she was equally as excited to finally feel his hands moving along her now trembling body. She couldn't believe all she had to do was get him mad enough to push him over the edge. She watched him kick off his shoes and jeans, leaving his boxers on as he stepped closer to the bed.

Reaching for her, he took her wrists in his hands and yanked her onto her knees before him, her lips only a hairbreadth from his now. She could smell his aftershave still lingering on his skin, and feel the heat rising from his body as they stared one another down for what felt like an eternity. He needed to break this stale mate. He wasn't angry anymore... he couldn't ever stay angry at April. She drove him to utter madness, but she also inspired feelings of love in him he had never experienced before. Leaning into her so that she could hear his faintest whisper, he let go of the breathless admission he'd been keeping to himself for far too long.

"I've always loved you... you're mine, April. _Mine_. He can't have you... no one can have you but me."

Her body started quaking again upon hearing those dark, dangerous words. She had waited so long to hear him admit it. She fell completely languid in his arms, and her flesh prickled like wild fire.

"I love you, so... much..." She whispered, her warm breath caressing his lips. He tasted like peppermint.

He had barely even touched her, yet she could feel the swells of desire set deep inside her start to churn. His mouth took hers with such force she whimpered against him, not caring if she could breathe. His kiss was brutal in its need, but gentle and wanting at the same time. All she cared about was that he was here with her, half naked in her bed, finally loving her. His tongue slid over her lips like a snake, exploring her, owning her. She was his, and he was determined to drive that fact home. She was more than willing to let him.

"Are you okay..." His deep, smoky voice rasped into her ear, sending vibrations of desperate need through her entire body.

"_Mhmm_..."

They both sank into the mattress, his fingers threading in between hers as he pushed her onto her back, lips still connected in an intimate, ageless dance they knew by instinct alone. His heart was thudding against his ribs, and he found it hard to think straight at all. He wanted her so damned badly, but he had to tread lightly, take his time... be patient. Oh how he had trouble with patience right now... his body was demanding satiation, and he had to hold back as long as he could. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her.

Knowing what she was able to reduce him to gave her the confidence to push further ahead, and she suppressed that desperate, inward fear of the unknown. She loved him too much to stop now, despite the somersaults her stomach did with each gentle touch. Her hands manoeuvred curiously, yet slowly up and down his flexed arm muscles, over the ink that marked his skin, and down across his chest. She allowed herself the pleasure of admiring how stunning his body was, and that it now belonged to her.

"You're so damned beautiful April... are you sure, this is... what you want?" He asked her, now breathless, as he slid his lips along her throat and collarbone. He needed to be confident this was truly what she wanted.

"I want _you_..." She nodded desperately, the junction of her thighs marked with heat, she continued to tremble ever so slightly under his practised touch.

Peeling off her shirt and bra, he then removed her panties with the stealth of a leopard. She watched as his eyes fed hungrily on her exposed flesh. He had seen her nude before, for maybe all of three seconds, but this... this was different.

Her little fingers glanced over the taut skin of his belly, slowly tracing the words, 'straight edge', and tucked themselves just under his waistband of his shorts, shyly tugging at them. He watched her chew on her lower lip nervously, and could see that small hint of uncertainty swirling in her eyes. Time to diffuse some tension.

He raised his brows at her and his mouth dropped open as he pointed to himself, feigning surprise. "You want me to... really? I have to be naked too?" He rolled his eyes at her. "Where's the fun in that?"

The giggle he enticed from her lips made him smile. She hid her face against his chest, and left a small kiss there. He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her eyes to his.

"We don't have to do _anything_, you know that, right?" He asked her, sweeping away the stray wisps of hair framing her face with his fingers.

They stayed like that, and after a few moments, she spoke. "I know, I want this."

She timidly took his hand in hers, and kissed each one of his fingers before bringing that hand to her breast.

"I _trust_ you. Make love to me..."

Closing her eyes she felt his mouth take hers once again, in small, sweet kisses, nipping and pulling at her swollen lips, as his hand slipped behind her neck, molding her to him. His kiss was thoughtful, gently pulling her body into him as his other hand caressed her thigh, swirling along her flesh in a white hot line over her hip, then back down again. Each movement created small tremors of electricity all through her body. His mouth slid across her cheek and down the creamy, delicate curves of her neck, marking a wet, hot trail between her breasts. The moment he took her into his mouth, she gasped, arching herself against him as his obvious arousal pressed hard into her thigh.

He coursed one hand along her leg, kneading her calf and slowly dragging his fingers up over her knee. He could feel her start to really shake beneath his body as he pushed one long leg between hers and slowly moved his hand between them. He knew she was getting scared now.

"I'm not gonna hurt you... let me," he kissed the corner of her trembling mouth, "show you how good," he kissed the corner of her now watering eye, "I can make you feel..."

April was damned near ready to jump off the bed when she felt him touch her there. She grabbed at the sheets and tossed her head back into the pillows. His fingers slid inside her slick, hot folds while his mouth held hers hostage. She moaned into him, soft, sweet little murmurs that drove him insane... Her little heart raced like there was no tomorrow, and she could feel a great, coiling tension start to build between her legs.

"Does that... feel good?" He asked her, moving his fingers in slow, steady circular fashion.

Nodding furiously, she could only make small mewing sounds, too shy to actually look at him while he was caressing her in such a deeply, intimate manner. He watched as she parted her legs even wider, arching up to his hand, now he would turn it up a little notch. He slipped one of his fingers just inside her, stroking in and out slowly, then he tried for two. She was starting to tremble now, and this time is wasn't because she was afraid.

"Is this okay?" He whispered into her ear, not sure she could even hear him anymore.

"_oh...my god... Phil_..."

"You like that, do you?" He asked her, repeating his movements and completely enjoying the feverish, desperate look on her peaked face. She was consumed with want.

"_Holy fuck_..." She was being driven mad.

April was almost in tatters... her entire body glistened with sweat, her fists were clenching the blankets, and Phil was pushing her over a cliff she didn't know was even there. She couldn't help the loud cries to dieties. She wasn't prepared for what happened next.

It was so very sudden. Her thighs shook uncontrollably as she cried out his name over and over... She was falling, crashing down... sharp, white hot streaks of pleasure ripped through her womb and down her legs. Spiralling out of control, she grabbed him around the neck, tears now flowing from those perfect, dark brown eyes. She nested herself into the curve of his warm body, and curling up into a fetal position, quietly sobbed and wheezed into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her still quaking body, kissing the top of her head as he squeezed her tightly.

"_I love you, I love you, I love you_..." He tiny little voice rasped over and over.

"I love you too." He said, smoothing her hair out along her back. He had a feeling this was enough for one day. No need to push anything, now. She loved him, and he loved her.

He smirked to himself and laughed inside. _Ha_...I didn't have to be naked after all. _I win_...

* * *

**Time to turn it over to White Firebird now...** **Hope everyone loved the chapter. I left some for White Firebird, after all, he's the man in this chapter. ;)**


	17. dark side of the punk

**Hey everyone! White Firebird with the latest update. The reviews and comments from everyone regarding the last chapter were wonderful to read. We're both so glad that y'all are enjoying the direction of the story. We can both promise that it's only going to get better from here! **

**I just want to say...I attended TLC at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and it was a wonderful thing to watch live. The entire event delivered, and it was good to see The Shield win their big debut and to see AJ toss Cena off that ladder to give Dolph the win. She did us all a favor by doing that! xD And here's to Phil getting geared for the Royal Rumble in a month...let's hope he kicks Dwayne's ass! #BITW**

**Make sure to check out Punklee Nation, the community created by Jean The Guardian, chock full of all your favorite AJPunk stories. And with that, enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

_"I love you, I love you, I love you..."_

_"I love you too..."_

The words replayed on infinite loop in her mind as April smiled in her sleep. The night before had been, for a lack of appropriate words, one of the weirdest, yet fulfilling nights of her entire twenty three year old life. He finally belonged to her...her smile ticked upward even more as she let that thought settle for a moment. Phil was _hers_, and _only hers_. He didn't belong to anyone but her. It was the greatest feeling in the world, knowing that everything had finally worked itself out. Having him fall asleep next to her in her bed was just icing on top of the proverbial cake.

Reaching behind her so she could touch his face, she felt nothing but cold sheets and pillows. Snapping her eyes open, she flipped over onto her side to find Phil's side of the bed vacant and devoid of his warmth. She quickly scanned the room and saw that it too was empty. Getting out of bed and using the sheets to wrap around her naked body, she padded over to the bathroom and saw that the door was open and it was dark inside. He was nowhere to be found. Nowhere. _'What's going on here...?'_, she silently wondered to herself as she made her way back to the bed to check the time; eight in the morning, on the dot. She knew he didn't sleep but still...

A terrible, scary thought then crossed her mind. "Oh no...he wouldn't...", she whispered softly to herself. Her fear of abandonment quickly began to consume her, and at the worst time possible. "He wouldn't...he just **wouldn't**", she kept whispering to herself, shaking her head vehemently in denial as she flopped back down onto the bed. She thought back to the previous night, the images still fresh. The intimacy, the adoration, the _love_...what if he took a step back and thought that he had made a mistake? What if he thought he went too far...maybe he was having second thoughts...all of it made her want to start crying. Just when she thought everything was turning up roses for her...

Just then, though, she heard the door handle jiggle, and watched as it swung open to reveal Phil with a boatload of what looked like groceries to make breakfast. Placing them down on the small kitchen table, he turned to face her, giving her his trademark smile as he flicked on the lights in the room. "Hey, you're awake! Didn't think you'd be up this early. Wanna help me make breakfast?"

"Phil!", she gasped out, resting on her knees, the sheets still covering her nude figure. His smile faded in favor of a peculiar look, his eyebrow raised as he gazed at her through loving, yet slightly concerned eyes.

"April, why do you look like you're about to cry?", he asked, venturing closer to the bed. He then promptly smacked himself in the head. She didn't really think what he thought she was thinking... "Wait...you didn't...you didn't think I'd actually leave, did you?"

His answer came in the form of her leaping from the bed and into his arms, catching him by surprise. The sheets were barely clinging to her as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder, quietly sobbing, as he rubbed her bare back gently, doing his best to quell her emotions. "I..I thought you..you had left", she managed to choke out.

"No, sweetheart...no", Phil said softly as he held her there, placing a kiss on the top of her head. She returned the favor by giving him a peck on the cheek before putting her head back on his shoulder. "I'd never leave you. I'm yours."

"Say it again", she whispered, a smile beginning to creep across her lips as the tears subsided.

"I'm yours."

* * *

**One week later...**

Phil hobbled around the halls backstage while April happily skipped in step with him, flashing her pearly whites as she held his bag for him, despite his protests. He was just coming off of minor hip surgery, having delayed it long enough the past few months. But with surgery came being inactive, and that meant he was basically going be sitting around with his thumb up his ass, unable to train or do anything really. It wasn't until April suggested that he ask Vince to do commentary while he healed up and they thought of something for his return to the ring. Thankfully, the emperor liked the idea and now he was doing commentary every week till he was completely healed.

The only good thing that came with resting his hip would be getting to spend more and more time with April. Since 'losing' NXT (it was still a touchy subject for them), she had been sent back down to FCW to continue training, and since he was only working Monday's for the time being, he'd be splitting his time between Chicago and Florida to help her in any way he could. She was more than grateful for the help and, not surprisingly, extremely happy that they'd be spending a lot of time together while he got better.

"Well, here we are", she said, still beaming at him as she put his bag down inside his dressing room. "You sure you're gonna be okay, you old man?", she teased, patting him on the arm while he scowled, feigning anger at her words as he took a seat.

"I'll manage", he said gruffly, extending his legs to stretch them out while April took a seat next to him, rubbing his thigh. "Oh sure, you wanna get all touchy feely _after_ I've had hip surgery", he said, pretending to act disappointed, enticing a giggle from her lips.

"I'm not the one who decided to kill the mood of our date last week by announcing you were having surgery", she lightly chided him, still grinning like a school girl at him. He gave her a look and she shook her head at him. "Don't look at me like I'm crazy, Phil, because I'm **not**."

"You're plenty crazy for loving a grouchy old bastard like me", he commented, taking her hand in his as he flexed his old, troublesome knee to make sure it didn't start to lock up on him.

She smiled at him, taking his hand and pressing it to her lips, kissing every tattooed finger, before leaning over and placing a chaste, sweet kiss on his cheek. "Grouchy, yes. Old, not so much. Bastard, no comment. But that doesn't change the fact that I love you all the same", she said, standing up. "So, can I show you off to everyone now, or does the big bad CM Punk need to take a nap before we go out there?"

Phil gave April an unimpressed glare as he stood up. "And they say men treat women like objects...", he muttered to himself while April took him by the hand and damn near dragged him out the door like he was a fucking rag doll. "Watch the hip!", he exclaimed painfully, but his demeanor changed, however, when they walked down the hall together, hand in hand, past numerous stage hands and road agents, most of whom had to double takes to believe what they were seeing.

Eventually, they reached catering, where all the Superstars and Divas were mingling around. Eve was the first one that caught sight of the two of them, and made her way over to them, eyebrows raised, quizzical look on her face. "Well, what do we have here?", she asked, knowing full well what the answer was going to be. She just wanted to hear Phil confirm it.

"Hi Eve!", April exclaimed happily, letting go of Phil's hand to give her friend a quick hug, only to grab hold of him once more. "How are you?"

"Not nearly as good as you are", Eve said back, smiling back at the two new lovebirds. She couldn't help but notice how AJ's eyes kept drifting up at Phil, like there were stars in her orbs, and how much love she saw in them as well. It truly was adorable to look at. If she had her phone on her right now, she'd of snapped a picture of it.

"Hey shorty, you mind if I talk to Eve for a second?", he asked after seeing the shit eating grin on Eve's lips. If he was going to get needled and poked fun at, he wanted to make sure April wasn't around to join in on it. April nodded happily and skipped over to Nattie, presumably to gush about everything the way only girls could. When he heard the two of them squeal in delight, he knew he was right. "Go ahead, say it. It's written all over your face", he said, turning his attention back to Eve.

She kept silent, instead stepping forward and wrapping him in a big hug that she didn't want to let go of. After a few seconds of silence, she released her grip and took a step back to take his image in. The hip that was hindering him notwithstanding, he looked the best he had in months. He looked like he had gotten more than two hours of sleep, and he was actually _smiling_. He looked completely different.

"I knew you couldn't keep her out for too long. I guess you really are the king of romance, huh?", she asked rhetorically, still grinning madly at him. "I can't tell you how happy I really, truly am for the both of you. You two deserve each other", she stated, taking a look around to see if AJ was within earshot. "Did you two...you know..."

Closing his eyes and shaking his head, a grin of his own appearing on his lips, he ran a hand through his growing hair. He'd be lying if he didn't think he was expecting this. "No. Not yet at least...we're taking it slow on that end. But thanks, Eve. It's...it's something, I'll tell you that much." Words were becoming hard to find when it came to this. Nothing seemed to adequately describe just how great he felt.

"Having a hard time saying how you really feel?"

Phil sighed. "Remember what I told you about how she was scaring me with all the love she was showing me?", he asked, watching as Eve nodded her head in response. "It's not scary anymore, believe me...it's just...wow. You know what I mean? I'm still getting used to it", he admitted readily. "I never thought someone could love another as much as she says she loves me."

Eve gave him a skeptical look, her brows raised as she shook her head. "Oh, I think you knew. She's absolutely gaga about you, Phillip. I'm so glad you finally woke up and let her in. She's perfect for you."

"It's just gonna take some time getting adjusted to it", he repeated. "But I'm in this for the long haul. April...she makes me feel things I haven't felt in a long, long time. I love her more than anything."

Happiness began to swell within Eve's heart upon hearing his declaration of love for AJ. He was changing, and for the best. She knew that AJ would rub off on him in that regard. "Well, I'm glad I had could offer a helping hand to the two of you. And you know that if there's ever anything you need to talk about, I'll listen, Phil."

Nodding his head, he swung his arm over her shoulder and smiled at her. "You've been such a big help, and for that I cannot thank you enough. What would I do without you?"

"You'd be miserable, that's for damn sure", Kaitlyn's voice interjected as she walked over with AJ, who still had that cheeky smile of hers on her lips as she walked into Phil's embrace. "More miserable than you were a few weeks ago, but that's a moot point now."

"I take it you heard the news then, huh?", he asked the NXT Season 3 winner, who nodded. "This one here", he said motioning down to April, "she's such a blabber mouth, isn't she? Couldn't even let me tell one person."

April suppressed a giggle as she felt Phil's arm snake around her waist. "You've got your hip to worry about. Let me handle the heavy work, okay?

He looked down at her, putting his finger underneath her chin, tilting her head upward to meet his gaze. There it was again; the unfiltered, unadulterated, pure love that resided in her almond shaped, amaretto eyes. How could it have taken him this long to see it? Better yet, why did he think he couldn't allow himself to love her the way she loved him? She had been in love with him from the moment they met so very long ago, and he was just returning it to her now. He had thirteen years of catching up to do, but he was going to show her just how much she meant to him, even if it killed him.

"You're something, you know that?", he said, leaning down to kiss her, not giving a damn if the rest of the girls saw it or said something.

"I'm your soulmate", she whispered right before their lips met.

"Awwww."

Phil reluctantly broke off the kiss and glared at Kaitlyn and Eve, both of who were making kissy faces at him and April. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, he took her by the hand and began to lead her away from the pack. "Sorry ladies, but this show is going off the air to the public", he said, a smile on his lips as they walked away, back to his dressing room to prepare for the night.

* * *

A few hours had passed and it was nearly show time. Throwing on his cheap sports jacket to go along with the shirt Colt wanted him to wear promoting his online web store, Phil spiked his hair up and made his way into the hall, walking towards the gorilla position to begin his first night of commentary. He almost didn't notice the man lurking in the shadows, watching him slowly make his way to his destination.

"Well well well", the voice drawled out, stepping from the shadows. "If it isn't Raw's newest commentator."

Phil stopped dead in his tracks, sighing in frustration. Oh, how he hated who the voice belonged to. "What do you want, Mizanin." It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement laced with bitterness. It was no secret amongst the boys and girls on the roster that the two of them, for a lack of better words, strongly disliked each other. Phil thought Mike was unworthy of being elevated up the card so quickly at the expense of people like himself. Mike, well, he thought that Phil was just a big old douchebag who needed to step aside for guys like himself.

"Nothing much, Punk. I didn't know it was bring your daughter to work day. Oh, my bad, I forgot, you don't kiss or date your daughter. How silly of me", Mike said snidely, taking delight at how Phil's face turned red with anger. Most people knew better than to go after AJ like that when Phil was around, but he didn't care. "She finally graduating high school this year?"

Phil went to take a step forward, but Mike backed him off, holding up his bright red Money In The Bank briefcase as a sort of shield to protect himself. "Ah ah ah, I wouldn't do that if I were in your shoes. Don't wanna injure your hip more than it already is, do you?", Mike taunted him.

He sighed, resigned to the fact that his hip would obviously limit him if anything were to break out. That was the last thing he wanted right now, especially with April here as his guest. But that still didn't mean that he couldn't give the little bastard a verbal tongue lashing. "Say one more thing about April, Mizanin, I dare you. It'll be the last thing you ever say. What the hell do you want, anyways? I've got a job to do, if you didn't notice", he spat out, his anger growing with each second he was in the smarmy prick's presence.

A cocky smile crept across Mike's lips as he twirled his briefcase in his hands, eyeing the Straight Edge Superstar up and down like he was his prey. This was almost going to be too easy. "I just wanted to imagine up close what your face is going to look like when the main event of the show is on tap. You're gonna love it. I know** I** will."

Phil raised his eyebrow, wondering just what the hell Mike was talking about. His eyes then went from his adversary's face to the briefcase in his hand. An imaginary lightbulb went off over his head. He had been down that road twice before. He had paved his way to the main event scene off of that briefcase, become a household name because of it. But there was no way...

"I see you're already beginning to piece it together, Punk. Good. See ya later", Mike sneered as he pushed past Phil, the two of them bumping shoulders as he walked down the hall and around the corner, not to be seen again. Phil cursed under his breath and then, in a fit of anger, tossed a table over. He was just glad April wasn't around to see that outburst as he composed himself as best he could before making his way ringside.

* * *

**"HE DID IT! HE DID IT! MIZ IS CHAMPION! THE MIZ IS CHAMPION!"**

"I cannot believe it."

Truth be told, his words were genuine. Trying his best to drown out Cole's annoyingly over the top antics, he stood up and watched as Mike pranced around the ring with the WWE Title, taking time to pose over Randal's fallen form. He knew he had to keep his composure for the live cameras, but on the inside, he was filled with rage and hatred. After the cameras went off the air, he stormed his way to the backstage area, not giving a damn if his hip was nagging him with each step he took.

Upon reaching his dressing room, he found that April was nowhere in sight. _'Good',_ he thought to himself as he grabbed one of the many steel chairs littered around the room and, after closing it up, he promptly and viciously threw it against the wall. He repeated the process a few more times before flipping over all the tables in the room. He grabbed one of the discarded chairs and slammed it on the ground repeatedly, trying in vain to find an outlet for the anger that was flowing through his veins right now. How could they put the most prestigious title in all of professional wrestling on _Mike!?_ It just made no sense to him...he was undeserving in every sense of the word of such an accomplishment, such an honor.

After thrashing every chair in the room, Phil turned around and slammed his fist into the door, not once, not twice, but three times in a row, before kicking it with all of the force he could muster. This was just unbelievable. After all the shit he had done...all the hoops he had jumped through...to get passed over for the title scene by someone like Mike...it made him question whether he even wanted to be here anymore. Such blatant disrespect...letting out a growl, he spun back around to punch the door once more...

**"Phil!"**

...but stopped himself mid-swing and damn near had a heart attack with the appearance of April in the doorway. He looked from his balled up fist to her, and slowly lowered his arm, putting it back at his side, trying to get his breathing back to a normal rate. He had never seen April look so scared, so afraid in her life...and this was all his fault. He flew off the handle, bad, and she had probably seen most of it. The carnage around the room was proof enough. He couldn't remember the last time he had flipped his lid this badly. He almost decked April! The girl that meant more to him than anything...

"Did you just see all of that?", he asked cautiously, though he already knew the answer. When she slowly nodded her head, he gently took her by the wrist and pulled her into him, wrapping his inked arms around her tiny, quaking body. She wasn't sobbing or shedding tears, but he could tell that she was afraid of what she had just seen him do. He couldn't blame her.

"I'm so sorry you had to bear witness to that, April...", he stated softly, rocking back and forth on his feet. "I just...after what I saw out in the ring, I...I got so frustrated...I can't believe I did that...forgive me, please."

She had never seen such a violent, dark side to him like that before. Sure, she knew that he could be a hard ass and that he had a temper, and was liable to curse someone out as easily as he was to kick someone's teeth down their throat...but to see him act out in such rage...it really did scare her. She knew he was sincere in his apology and his asking forgiveness...but the wild look in his eyes, the way he was ready to nail that door had she not been standing there...

"It's okay Phil...it's okay...I forgive you."

It made her think that not everything was going to be smooth sailing from here on out.

* * *

**And that's that. Hope you all enjoyed. It's Foxy's turn to hit this sucker out of the park. Happy holidays to all! =)**


	18. need you now

**First, let me start by saying thank you to two very talented ladies who each took a third of the love scene and wrote it with me. XxPunkleexX, and Kelzo85, two gals are my besties, and they totally rock to heaven and back. We did our best and can only hope the wait was worth it. Happy New Year everyone!  
**

**Also, thanks to White Firebird for being a good sport and not dying when *I* go off script. I like to follow in Punker's footsteps that way. :P** _  
_

* * *

_~Need You Now~  
_

Punk was a lot less disagreeable than usual. In fact, he was sure that this had to be a dream-induced state, where nothing was real anymore. Even fucking Mizanin being Champion didn't seem to rattle his cage as much as it did at first. No, he was focused along another road now, and this one actually had promise, professionally, _and_ personally. He was just told he'd be the new front man for the Nexus. Finally, after months of being treated like an after thought, being used to put others over, he was finally getting somewhere. Well, he fucking hoped he was. Maybe he wasn't wasting his time after all? Either way, his hip was healing faster than he'd expected, and by a miracle of the Gods, he still had April. That brought a genuine smile to his lips and he started to day dream a little about the evening he had planned with his new _girlfriend_. This had the potential to be purely magical...

* * *

April was down right giddy like a school girl. She already changed her clothes seven or eight times now, she couldn't be sure. Ultimately, she settled on a plain pair of black skinny jeans, with a low cut silk, navy blouse, and chrome studded belt. There would be no make up tonight, she didn't need it. Punk always loved her au naturel, and she was going to give him _everything_ he wanted on tonight. This was going to be _the_ night... No more waiting, no more excuses. He belonged to her.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she pulled her hair up to the side, then around back, propping the bulk of her luxurious dark brown tresses on the top of her head. She stayed like that for a few moments, her mind drifting back to one week ago when he literally took her to the moon, and back. Admittedly, she knew she wasn't in any shape to go any further, and bless his heart, he didn't push it. She was a shuddering, boneless mass of goo lying in his arms after ward. Closing her eyes, she vividly recalled her breathless admission of love over and over into the hard planes of his naked chest as he held her fast against him, stroking her hair and whispering his own admissions of undying love into her ear. Ahh, the memories of it made her insides spark to life and twitch a little.

It pained her to push the erotic thought away, and a self satisfying smirk curled across her pink, glossy lips. This time she was going to show him the pleasures of the tongue and teeth. She'd done some reading, she paid attention in health class... She was going to make this a night to remember, she told herself, and ruffling her hair out across her back and shoulders, she left it wild and free falling. He always liked her wild and free falling...

* * *

Punk checked his watch and made note of the time. Eight thirty three PM. She would be knocking on the door shortly, and he had _everything_ in place. Nothing was going to spoil this for him. He'd given her a taste of his talents, but tonight, well, tonight he planned to feed her a full course meal. He was getting aroused just thinking about her tight little body writhing beneath him, on top of him, bent over the counter... hell, any where.

Nervously, April knocked lightly on the door. He'd given her a key, but she still felt awkward just walking into his apartment like it was her own. She was about to knock again when the door swung wide open, and there he was in all his magnificent glory... all six foot two, two hundred and twenty pounds of him. Instantly stepping aside to allow her entry, he motioned for her to come in. Her hungry eyes canvassed his body from head to toe in a sweeping motion she didn't even _try_ to hide. He had a really nice cream coloured button down shirt on, tucked neatly into his jeans. His hair was combed back but not gelled, and it fell in little wisps across the bridge of his nose, partially obscuring those beautiful, translucent, pale green eyes. That tell tale slow burn ignited between her thighs, and she was hot for him before she even walked through the door.

"Right on time, I see..." He started to say, but before the words could leave him entirely, she had her arms slung over his shoulders and around his neck like a noose in an instant. Her lips crashed him his and he melted into her, picking her off the floor and carrying her the rest of the way inside after kicking the door closed with his foot.

The scent of vanilla wafted into his nostrils as he buried his nose into her hair, one hand at the small of her back, and the other curled eager fingers around her slender, swan-like neck, bracing her body against him. He pulled her back just a little to see her, his heavy lidded eyes shifting focus from her full lips to her begging, soulful black orbs.

"Whoa, April, slow down... this isn't a race sweetheart! We don't have to rush into anything, all right?" It wasn't hard for him to see she was on automatic pilot, trying to drown out any insecurities or fear of the unknown. He allowed her body to slide intimately down the front of his till her feet met the floor again, and he offered her an understanding smile. "Are you ready for dinner?"

"I'm ready, Phillip, for anything."

His eyes shifted from her smile to her chocolate brown, vixen-esque gaze. Her fearfulness broke through all of her attempts to look calm and relaxed over this whole thing. Even through all her false bravado, he could plainly see the uncertainty swirling behind her lyrical eyes.

"Good, follow me." He grabbed her hand and led her up the staircase to the roof where he had a private balcony.

She let him lead her up the staircase and out a metal door, into the warm, summer night. The breeze caught her hair, teasing it all around her face in an untamed display of beauty.

"Okay, close you eyes and I'll lead you over. No peeking!"

"I promise not to peek." She told him, unable to hold back her toothy white smile. She loved it when he had surprises for her. They had only gone a few steps when he had her stop.

"Okay, open."

There was a table set for two, candles, cans of diet soda on ice in a champagne cooler, and four or five different Chinese dishes all waiting for them to dig into. He even had little swan napkins made up and two fortune cookies on each of their plates.

"Ta-da!"

"Oh my goodness! You did all this yourself?" Her eyes narrowed, questioning him. He purposefully avoided her gaze and rolled his eyes to the heavens, smirking. "Phillip..."

"Okay, okay, Commandant... I had help, but Colt did NOT, I repeat, did NOT come cheap! That bastard charges by the minute, I'll have you know, Miss Mendez."

"Something tells me you can afford it, Mister Brooks."

He pulled out her chair and motioned for his guest to sit. She smiled ever so sweetly and settled herself into her seat as he pushed the chair in for her.

* * *

Dinner had been wonderful, but she didn't eat much. She couldn't. She was too wound up over what the plans were for the rest of the night. They walked back into his apartment and he held out his hand to her.

"Want to join me?"

"Where?" Her eyes widened.

"Oh the couch, goof." He chuckled at her reaction and grabbed her by the hand, dragging her over. Flopping himself down, he dragged her onto his lap, April giggling all the way. She settled against him, her face snuggled into his neck. "So... what would you like to do now?" He asked, thinking she was going to say go for a walk, watch some tv...

"Take me to bed."

He gave her a look.

"I need you,_ now_."

They stood at the foot of his bed, his eyes thoughtfully roving from the rise and fall of her chest, to her nervous lips, noticing the cute way she licked and chewed at them every few moments. She was adorable, and as innocent as they come. For all her courage, she was still skittish to be in his presence under such circumstances, and he knew well that regardless of their last encounter, she was still untouched. She was still, a virgin.

"I want you to tell me how you're feeling at all times, all right?" He softly asked her, his hand skirting up behind her ear. Leaning in, his lips brushed lightly against her other ear, his breath hot glancing along her neck. "You are so stunningly beautiful, April... I can't tell you how badly I want you."

That sexy, gravelly voice made her stomach do flip flops, and the heated thrumming in her loins threatened to paralyse her. She waited for him to touch her, and when he did, she damned near passed out. His mouth nibbled along her ear lobe, sucking gently, and she could feel instantaneous gooseflesh forming in the wake of his sweet assault.

"_Phil_..."

"_I'm here, sweetheart, tell me what you need_..."

Her head tilted back, and granted his lips even more access to her velvety, caramel coloured skin. Feeling him drag his tongue in a wet swirling line down her throat, she clung to his biceps to keep herself upright as his hands anchored themselves at her waist so he could pull loose one tiny button after another with his teeth...

"_I, need... you... only you._.."

April could feel her body go almost limp when he laid one of his large, experienced hands over her lace covered breast, kneading the taut nipple that lay just under the thin fabric. Her startled gasp of pleasure gave him a satisfied grin, and he plucked away the last of the buttons, letting the garment fall in a heap at their feet.

She, not wishing to be outdone, impatiently tugged the tails of his shirt from his jeans, and in a small state of panic accidentally ripped his shirt wide open, sending every single button zipping like miniature bullets in all directions. Startled at her aggressiveness, his eyes popped open and he grabbed a hold both her her wrists, backing her into the bed. His fingers laced into hers and his knee pushed between her thighs.

"Slow and steady wins the race, sweetheart." He whispered, and felt her hands on his belt buckle, tugging it loose.

She caught his smokey gaze and held him there while she unzipped him, and slipped her small fingers into the warmth beneath the waistline of his pants. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, feeling her place a flurry of feathery kisses across his bare chest as she worked his jeans and boxers over his hips and down his long legs. He would let her undress him first, that was the easy part. The hard part came when he felt her little fingers touch the bare skin of his hips and buttocks. Her lips sank lower along his abdomen, her slippery tongue dancing around his navel and over the lettering of his tattoo.

Stepping out from his clothes he pulled her back up, meeting her mouth in a gentle kiss. His arms enveloped her and he slid one knee onto the bed, pushing her back onto the mattress.

"Are you okay?" He rasped against her ear as he slipped his finger under the strap of her bra, pulling it over her shoulder.  
"Yes, yes..." April's poor little heart was beating a mile a minute, and her core was molten. Already she could feel the white hot flashes of pleasure streak in waves through her belly and into the peak of her thighs. The feel of his heavy leg draping across her thigh did things to her insides she couldn't even begin to explain. She was literally jumping with excitement and fear.

Phil felt her entire body tremble after pulling her other strap down, and his fingers slipped behind her, unfastening the clasp. She was so perfect to him in every way. Her bra was gone, her panties, history, and now they were both on equal footing. He felt her fingers fan out across his chest, feeling every muscle, every indent, every twitch. His thumb found her hard, brown peak and he started to rub, then roll it in between his finger and thumb, eliciting a sharp, startling cry from her lips as she threw her head back and grasped at his wrist. His mouth closed over her other breast and he sucked and nipped at her tender, aroused flesh with his teeth, swirling around the hardened tip with his tongue as she squirmed in the bed next to him. Inhaling deeply, he could smell sex, and a growl emerged from his throat as his hand slipped over her hip and across her trembling belly, slipping down over her damp curls.

"Oh god, April you're so incredibly wet." He muttered, sliding his fingers inside her delicate folds. "Are you still okay with this?"

Her frantic nod was all he needed. He manoeuvred his large frame into the cradle between her legs, forcing her to open wider for him.

April moved to meet him like the tide, as soft, cat-like whimpers escaped her throat, driving him to madness. She could feel his thick fingers massage her tender flesh, moving slowly up and down her hot, juicy slit. She clutched at the sheets, then into his hair and he drew one finger down the middle, then dragged his tongue back up to claim that small, jangle of nerves hidden inside.

"_Oh dear Lord_..." She gasped, and her hips bucked up to meet him as his tongue circled her tiny, hardening bud.

"_How does it feel_?" He asked her, his breath sending shivers through her body as he continued to relentlessly work on her nerve centre. He clamped down on it, sucking and applying pressure, then releasing... she tasted like honey and he was a bear. She was getting wetter, her juices slicking from her as he pushed one finger inside her tight core, preparing her for more.

"_Phillip, oh god, I feel like, I._.. _so fucking good_..."

"_Come on sweetheart, just let yourself go_..."

Her cries of pleasure almost did him in.

"_Oh, I can't... don't... stop_..."

"_Yes you can, I've got you. You're safe here with me, just like last time, okay?_"

Using his thumb he drew circular motions around her aching bud, and gently stroked gently with two fingers now, stretching her. Her entire body shook like an earthquake as she stiffened against him, her hands grabbing fiercely his hair. Her eyes clenched shut and she cried out his name over and over. Quickly folding her into his arms, he kissed the top of her head as she cried against him, pulling her knees up to her chest she continued to quake for more than a couple of minutes.

"_I love you, so, so much.._." She whispered, sliding her small hand over the heated skin of his shoulder. She could feel the slick, sticky wetness of her orgasm between her thighs and she smiled up at him, tears of satisfaction brimming in her eyes.

"_I love you too, sweetheart_."

He drew her back, brushing the wild untamed curls that were hiding her stunning beauty from his hungry eyes. They tangled at the nape of her neck, fingers clenching the strands to keep her in place.

They roamed her flushed face, taking in her innocent afterglow. She was radiant with pleasure. Cheeks tinged pink, small nostrils flaring as she gulped for breath. Tears clung to her thick eyelashes and he swiped at the moisture with the pad of his finger.

A dimpled grin adorned his face as her eyes fluttered, struggling to open to meet his. The brown orbs shone with light, his alpha male ego skyrocketing knowing he made her feel so good it put a twinkle in her eyes.

_There would be more of that, love. Much more._

Drugged heavy eyes struggled to focus on him where there were so many things distracting about him. From the fluffy feathery locks to the green forest of his eyes, ones that promised so much delight and pleasure, to the slant of his lips as he grinned wolfishly down at her. His looks sent shivers down her spine, as if she was his meal after going long days with no food or water.

Still insecure, her eyes dropped from his intense stare and she tried to bury her face under his scruffy chin, buying her some time to get herself back together but he refused to allow her the retreat.

Pushing his index under her chin, he waited to no avail to get her to reconnect her eyes with his. He knew her to be ready, her heart told him so as it drummed against his own glistening skin. Her eyes tried to absorb all of him, even her fleeting touches, but there was something left lingering in her that would not allow her to completely let go to him, surrender to him even for just the night.

And if anyone liked a challenge, it was him. He was on a mission to free her from the chains she kept around her, stopping her from enjoying herself, enjoying him, and enjoying what they were about to do.

"_Don't be shy now, April._" His hushed voice washed over her as her eyes, on their own record, glanced up to his, slightly relieved that he knew what she was feeling and nervous that he might change his mind after all. "_We have all the time in the world, now that we are together. What we're doing tonight isn't a once in a life time event. I plan to enjoy you, touch you, love you every day for the rest of my life and I want you too as well_."

Feeling slightly more confident, she finally spoke up, her hand brushing lightly at his temple. "_I want that too so much… I just don't … I'm a little out of my field here. Not much experience if you failed to notice. I, I want to feel you above me, under me... behind me, and inside of me._" She struggled to continue as his eyes darkened at her last three words. "_It's just that I'm scared you'll expect so much of me, and I won't deliver. I never want to disappoint you, Phillip._"

Now he knew what she was scared of, but it was easy to navigate the dilemma they were always coming back to. "_You could never disappoint me, baby. Want me to tell you why?_" At her nod, he brushed her cheek, finger trailing over her trembling swollen lips. "_Because you love me, and when_ _you love someone that much, you let your heart lead, to tell you how to touch, how to feel, how to let go and trust me to catch you. I am a virgin of sorts, like you, too. I have no prior experience with your body, other than that night last week. But I love you and I know I'll touch you like you deserve, make you feel how much I love and adore you. This isn't sex or rutting like animals. It's you and me and how we feel. This is making love, April. It's about safety, warmth and trust_."

She felt her heart ready to burst with emotions. The sincerity of his words, his own emotion shining bright in his eyes was all too much for her.

_How can I love him anymore than I do?_

Gulping hard, a small smile playing on her lips, the words tumbled out in a heated rush "_Teach me_?"

He'd never heard anything more arousing in his life. Never had such a jolt of primitive awareness course through his overly aroused body. He was jumping inside.

_Teach her? Holy fuck! _

A shiver ran down his spine, his erection pulsing instantly back to life.

_She's going to kill me before we're done. But it'll be worth it. _

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down his racing heart. "_How about we teach other? Do you trust me_?"

"_With my life._" The fast resolute replay put him at ease. She was willing to hand him the steering for the night.

He rolled them over, looming hugely over her. He took on dainty hand, brushing a kiss over her knuckles, eyes never leaving hers.

"_I'll go first. I'll show you how I like to be touched and you can have a go at me. Alright_?" He saw her pearly white teeth nibble at her lip, and he waited until she nodded her consent.

He drew the hand slowly and surly, delighted that the trembling was lessened the more he traced her hand over his flesh. Over his shoulders, around his neck, and all over his chest her hand danced as he led. Fingertips ghostly tracing the tattoos he wore with pride. His hand let go bracing his weight as he waited for her to explore on her own. Slowly but surly, _she did_.

Her hands traced the myriad of inked designs, fascinated by every one. He was enthralling, lean and solid. The cool combination of hard and soft, his skin hot yet smooth, hard muscles jumping and flexing beneath taut flesh as her hand moved and explored. He felt like silk under her fingers but it did nothing to obscure the raw power in the muscles that lay beneath the warm skin.

He jumped and she stopped, looking at him with uncertain eyes, unsure of what to do or how to proceed next. He was quick to reassure her. "_No, no, don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong sweetheart. You just startled me a little there, it's okay_." His ragged voice was strangled in his throat as the sensation overwhelmed him.

Her lips hovered above his moist skin, she had been trailing a wet path of kisses, licks and nips from his ear, to his scruffy jaw, and around his neck. She didn't stop until she settled her lips around his chest area, nuzzling as she captured his taut bud in her hot mouth and held him prisoner.

He'd come to learn that she was a quick study.

He moaned when she captured one of his nipples between her teeth, nipping at it, and then laving it with her wet tongue. She pushed herself up a bit more, watching him intently, her eyes drinking in his responses like wine, a natural high possessing her as confidence in her own femininity and abilities grew by leaps and bounds.

Slowly, she snaked her lithe, hot tongue lower, feeling him grip her head between his hands, almost guiding her to her final destination. With the stealth of a cat, she raked her nails over his hip, digging her fingers into his heated flesh. The groan he let slip from his lips urged her forward, her confidence building the lower she slipped. Her tongue lapped across his navel and swirled around it playfully, before she descended further. Her animated, dark orbs danced as they looked up to see the wonder and shock that flitted across his handsome face. She brazenly arched her elegant eyebrow at him, then reached for him, circling her small hand around his length. His sharp intake of breath indicated to her that she was already in the starting gate, and she wasn't going to wait for the checkered flag. Licking her lips, she hovered over his body, driving him insane with anticipation as his fingers clutched at the sheets beside his hips.

"_That's okay, April, we can stop there is you aren't comfortable._.." He forced himself to say that, every other instinct in his body fought against each syllable that slipped past his lips.

He watched her with great intent, his eyes not breaking contact with hers as she licked at her plump, glossy lips. She touched ever place in his heart, there was no doubt as her tongue started to swirl around the tip of him while her hand stroked softly along the sateen steel column rising up from between his thighs.

Dragging his front teeth over this bottom lip, he closed his eyes for a moment. "_April, really... you can stop anytime.._."

April stilled her tongue, her bobbing head stopped, as she waited. There was no way she was letting him stop this now. She was having way too much fun. She was going to taste him. Looking up, her eyes glazed with passion. Phil knew right away that resistance most definitely, was futile. His length twitched with readiness inside her mouth. His brain going into overdrive, trying to imagine anything that would prevent an untimely explosion inside April's velvet mouth.

"_Baby, you really don't have to do this, I'm happ-_" His plea was cut short as April lowered her eyes back down to the task in hand. Phil almost leapt off the bed when he felt his tip touch the back of her throat.

"_FUCK April_!" He gasped, grabbing her luscious locks, moving them away from her beautiful face. He wanted to see.

April's strokes grew more intense as he swelled and lengthened. She kept her eyes on his as she grabbed the base of him and swirled her tongue around the head. He inhaled sharply but kept his eyes on hers. This was now his favourite thing, he could watch her do this forever. She continued to suck and lick and kiss the tip of him while she stroked the length with her hand. Gauging what he wanted by the pleasure on his face, she took more and more of him into her mouth, slipping her lips slowly up and down, gradually building the pace. His breaths came quicker and quicker as he watched her head bobbing in his lap. His hips thrust gently to her steady rhythm. When her hand followed the trail of her mouth, he felt like he was constantly surrounded by her. It was about to send him over the edge. His head fell back and his body shook as she finished him off. "_Fuck! April Yes that's it! I'm gonna—ugh_," he grunted as he came in her mouth.

April ran her hands gently over his thighs and rested her chin on his stomach, looking up at him. "_Good_?"

Phil lifted his head and met her eyes. "_Uh—hell yeah_," he rasped. Reaching down and pulling her up off her knees, pushing her to a seated position in front of him. Leaning in, Phil placed his lips to the corner of her mouth, April revealed a toothy grin as she looked at him knowingly.

"_What? Why are you looking at me like that_?" AJ's smile became sinister, as she turned back over onto her knees, bending down, now on all fours. Her eyes never leaving his.

"_April? What are you doing_?" Punk sat up on his elbows watching her as she slowly crawled towards him, her eyes full of want, Like an animal stalking its prey.

"_No! April! Wait..._" But before Phil could react, April had already pounced. Straddling him and pinning his hands down by his wrists either side of Phils head. Leaning in inch by inch, Phil couldn't take his eyes from her perky wet lips, he knew what was coming. Her youthful playfulness shining through. She had caught on just after that pitiful excuse of a kiss, that he felt uncomfortable about kissing her properly after she had just taken him and swallowed the whole lot. This was her revenge.

Phil stiffened a slightly as he felt their lips touch. Gentle, sweet, loving. He soon relaxed a little as he began to enjoy the sensations all over again. Trying his best to free his hands so he could touch her as the kiss began to ignite that warm feeling inside, Feeling his length harden, Aprils tongue slipping in between his lips, dancing with his skilled tongue. That was it. He was about to crack.

April yelped as Phil flipped her off him and onto her back, now pinning her wrists playfully to the bed. His member rubbing slightly against the inside of her thighs, her hips thrusting up involuntarily. Leaning down Phil began to lick and suck at her neck, just below her ear.

"_This is it, are you sure this is what you really want_?" He peppered kisses down the column of her delicate throat and onto her shoulder.

Loosening the grip of her wrists, April took full advantage, grabbing hold of his head in both her tiny hands and bringing him as close as possible, nose to nose.

"_Phil, I told you, we're soul mates. You're the only person I trust with my heart. I want this so much. Please, make love to me_." The last part came out as a whisper, her eyes pleading.

She was ready.

Phil leaned in, pecking her wanting lips, before leaning over and opening the top drawer of the bedside cabinet. Lifting out a condom, he pushed the drawer closed and leaned back on his knees, ripping the top off the packet, ready to take it out. All under the inquisitive gaze of April.

Stopping him before he managed to take it out of the package, "_May I_?" Phil looked up to see her hand stretched out, waiting.

He couldn't hide the smirk that played on his pierced lip. He really had underestimated his girl. She was a minx, virgin or not.

"Be my guest", handing her what she wanted, he leaned further back, waiting, watching intently.

April sat up, taking the condom out of the foil. She pinched the tip of it and placed it directly over him. Then with her free hand she gently rolled the rubber sheath all the way down his throbbing length, utterly delighting in the gasp that Phil had tried to stifle until she reached the base. Her eyes glued to his, she gave him a few strokes before laying back down, beckoning him to follow.

He could wait no longer. He took himself in his hand and moved over her. Slowly sweeping himself over her clit as she held her breath. "_April are you ready baby_?" He whispered in her ear. She responded nervously by nodding and moaning as he pushed himself inside her. She was tight and he knew it was uncomfortable for her. He looked to her face. Her eyes were closed and she was holding her breath. "_Relax April, please babe, I wont hurt you on purpose, I promise_." He whispered again, and she exhaled. With one swift thrust, he pushed himself deeper and she cried out in pleasure and pain.

"_Oh_!"

April trembled and clung to his body as he began to slowly move in and out of her. She had never felt anything like this. It was wonderful. His hands on her body, his kisses, his hardness deep inside her. She felt every touch as he began to move faster. Pushing himself deeper, filling her more with each gentle thrust. She lifted her legs and wrapped them around him. Her face turning from side to side she felt the burning explosion begin deep in her stomach. Phil was moving faster and breathing heavily on her neck, kissing her skin and squeezing her breast in his hand. He lifted himself onto his hands and looked down at her. Her face filled with desire and sexual pleasure. He slipped his hand around her waist and flipped them both over. April opened her eyes and sat herself across him, slowly sinking onto him and letting her head fall back. Her own fingers now pleasuring her breasts. Phil watched and felt himself hurtling towards release. He grabbed her hips and pulled her down harder and she screamed out as he raised his hips thrusting himself deeper into her.

She was breathless, her legs were aching, but her body felt wonderful. Her belly was on fire as she felt Phil's fingers slip between her lips and over her clit. She rocked with abandon as his fingers helped her nearer to her orgasm. She wanted to make this feeling last as long as possible. He couldn't hold out much longer. The sight of her riding him, knowing he was her first, it was getting too much for him and he sat upright, his face buried in her breasts. He held her tight, so she couldn't move, just for a minute, while he caught his breath. April held him tightly in her arms as she continued slowly rocking her hips back and forth. She moved beside him and he lay back holding her close. They lay on their sides together catching their breath and reliving the sensations, hearts beating faster. Phil pulled her waist closer to him. He was recovered and ready to go. April pushed her hips back into him instinctively and she felt his hand lift her bottom cheek. She slipped her knee forward and he pushed himself inside her again. His hands holding her close, pulling her towards him as he thrust. This time he was more powerful. She moaned out in intense pleasure as his hips crashed into her, she grabbed at the sheets, again hurtling towards her climax. She was so close. She let her fingers search out her swollen bud and began to slowly rub herself, encouraging the most intense feeling of pleasure.

"_Oh god, oh yes_!" She called out softly as she felt her orgasm approaching and Phil stepped up his pace.

Pulling her hips closer still he moved his hand up to her breast and whispered in her ear. "_Come for me April, let it go baby_!"

She lost control... it hit her again and again and again. She shuddered in his arms, her body aflame with pleasure and she gradually slowed her movements as Phil found his release deep inside her. She lay with him, breathless as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He kissed her neck. Neither of them spoke. There were no words.

**_Two Weeks Later..._**

Phil just returned from his match, sweaty, pissed off, and not in the mood for anyone. He stormed off towards the men's locker room, not really watching where he was going. This was going to be the last time the powers that be would fuck him. Rounding the corner, his eyes half shut he violently collided with the person coming the opposite way. The sound of their bodies crashing together was enough to make him sick. His two hundred and twenty pound frame easily knocked the much smaller, lighter body at least eight feet away to the floor in a crumpled heap front of him.

She cried out, once from the jarring impact with what felt like a fucking bulldozer, and again when she hit the cold, hard concrete of the floor.

"Shit!" He was on his knees in an instant, checking her for anything broken. "Oh God... Maria, baby, are you all right? I am _so fucking sorry!_"

She whimpered against his chest, the pain in her hip and throbbing of her neck unbearable. "P..._Punk_?"

He lifted her from the floor and started to carry her to the trainer's room. Her head fell onto his shoulder and her hand circled around his bicep, looking for some comfort from her pain. It hurt so bad...

April spent almost an hour looking for him, to no avail. The last place would be the trainer's room. As she approached she heard his voice, and he sounded remarkably upset. Her pace increased and she stopped just short of the open door, getting a good look at who he was with, and how he was holding her. There was Maria, on a gurney, and Phil was holding her in his arms, rocking back and forth, one of his hands around her back and the other spiked into her long, light brown hair. What, pray tell, was this?

* * *

**Please come and see us at a new forum where we can talk about the fic all together. It's called Punk's Locker Room, and it's at Delphi Forums. Also, check out Jean the Gaurdian's community, Punklee Nation!**

**Check out my other fics, Dream Come True, and The Unquiet Grave.  
**

**Once again, thank you for reading, and we hope you liked this chapter. All your comments and follows are awesome. :)  
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	19. trust is only a five letter word

**Hey everyone! Happy new year! I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful beginning of 2013. It's that time of the year again. WrestleMania season is upon us! Here's hoping that the Royal Rumble kicks starts a great first few months of the new year, and here's hoping Punk retains against Dwayne at the Rumble! #BITW. And thank you all again for the kind words and comments. Me and Foxy love seeing and reading them! And that last chapter...whooo boy...what a doozy! With that, let the ride continue! =)**

**PS - Make sure to check out Dream Come True by Foxy and the community set up by Jean The Guardian, Punklee Nation. You won't regret it!**

* * *

The rapid knocking caused April to snap her eyes open. Sitting up, she looked over to the door and sighed. She had been sitting on the bed for the last three hours, wondering just what the hell Phil was up to and just how, out of nowhere, one of his ex-girlfriends had shown up. Maria. She had heard a few things about her, here and there, from some of the girls who worked with her when she was with the company. She did know that her and Phil had dated for a while after he had been signed by the company way back in 2006. She also knew that she was a sore, touchy subject for him. But she still couldn't shake the image of the two of them in the trainer's room out of her head. It had her mind racing all over the place...and she didn't particularly like it when her mind was doing that.

Opening the door, she was hoping and praying to finally see Phil, but instead got a pleasant, yet unexpected surprise in the form of Colt, who had his mile wide smile plastered on his lips, his arms extended outward in a welcoming gesture. "Colt!", she exclaimed, stepping aside to let him into the room. She then gave him a big hug, wrapping her tiny arms around his bulging, muscular frame. "What're you doing here!? I thought you were in California doing some shows?", she asked as he removed his arms from around her petite frame. He was still smiling, and God, how she missed seeing his smile. It sure helped to temporarily take her mind off of whatever Phil was doing and where ever he was.

"Nah, I decided to surprise that crabby bastard and pay him a visit this week", he said, plopping down on the bed, facing her with eager eyes. "So, I heard through the grapevine that a certain little lady managed to tame the untamable beast of Chicago. Any idea who that chick could be?", he asked her, winking and nudging her in the side with his elbow.

Flashing him a smile of her own, April sat down next to Colt and blushed. Word travelled fast, apparently. "So, did Phil outright tell you or did you have to beat it out of him with a stick?", she asked, tucking a strand of her dark brunette hair behind her ear. The look on Colt's face said it all. "How big of a stick did you use?", she followed up with, getting a chuckle out of her boyfriend's best friend, using her hands to gesticulate just how large said weapon could possibly be.

"The biggest one I could find, kiddo. Must have knocked him silly because before I knew it, he was gushing about how much he loved you and how good you were for him. It was like I didn't even know who he was for a minute", Colt said, not failing to notice the tint of pink that April's cheeks turned. "I'm sitting there thinking to myself, _'Who the fuck is this puss?'_ ", he said, this time getting a full blown laugh out of her.

Soon enough, Colt joined in on the laughter as well. "All kidding aside though, I'm really happy you two finally got together. If I had to see him mope around for one more day, I'd have killed him. Plus, you helped me win a hundred bucks off of Luke", he said as the laughing subsided. He saw the shocked, almost offended look on her face and grinned. "Oh don't act so surprised that we had a bet going. I said it'd happen before the end of the year, Luke said it'd never happen. So thanks!"

April shook her head in disbelief. Then again though, this was Colt, and him placing a bet on something like this didn't really surprise her all that much. "Only you would do something like that. I can only imagine how you managed to rope Luke into it", she said as she sat up, walking over to the fridge to grab something to drink. When Colt didn't immediately respond, she sighed. "He willingly bet on it, didn't he?"

"Damn right he did", Colt shot back almost immediately. "Don't let that big, bald headed bastard fool you. Underneath the teddy bear exterior beats the heart of the devil himself. It's Phil's fault, really. He rubs everyone the wrong way", he kept saying as he grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. "So, where is the motherfucker anyway?"

She stopped short of rejoining him on the bed, instead opting to sit down at the little kitchen table, passing the bottled water she had on the table between her hands. "Actually, I was going to ask you that question. I haven't seen him since I left the arena three hours ago", she said carefully, her eyes avoiding Colt as they remained on the bottle. "I had another question that I want to ask you, now that you're here...maybe you know what's going on..." The uncertainty was creeping back into her voice.

"I haven't seen him all day, kiddo. I thought he'd be here, but that's obviously not the case. What'd you want to know?"

Biting down on her lip, April made brief eye contact with her boyfriend's best friend and sighed. Might as well let it rip. "What's Maria doing here?", she asked innocently enough. Colt looked up to her, a deer in the headlights look on his face. _"Well?"_, she pleaded with him.

"Ah, Maria...yeah...I uh...ran into her back home in Chicago", he started out slowly, drawing each word out, acting like he'd rather not divulge this information. He heard from Phil numerous times just how much of a temper she had, and the last thing he wanted to do was bear witness to it right at this moment. "We got to talking and ah...yeah, she asked how Phil was doing and...well, one thing led to another...and she asked if she could come with me this week", he finally said, exasperated look on his face as he sucked in a deep breath. He kept waiting for the tell tale sign that April was pissed, but thankfully, she didn't tilt her head and her eyes weren't twitching, so he assumed he was in the clear.

"Why would she want to come with you?", was the question that came out of her mouth next. She didn't want to have to keep her guard up, but women these days...they were unpredictable. She knew how things went, especially for a catch like Phil. Just because he was taken didn't mean that girls would stop lining up to throw themselves at him.

"You obviously know that the two of them dated...she broke it off with him and he took it really hard, almost like a betrayal, and they said some nasty things about each other, but she's been trying to reconcile with him for a while now", he said, still making sure to tread lightly. "He used to never be open to it but who knows, maybe he's softened his stance", he followed up with. Colt then noticed the look on April's face and realized why she was so insistent on asking about Maria. "Oh God, Ape, I promise you that nothing bad's going to happen when they see each other!"

April took a deep breath and exhaled, lowering her head, her hair acting as a veil to cover her face. "I saw them before I left the arena...they were in the trainer's room, Phil was cradling her head and telling her everything was going to be fine. I guess she had some kind of accident and Phil happened to be there to help her."

Colt saw the worried look in April's eyes and felt a pang in his heart. He knew first hand how emotionally insecure she was, how she had many fears of abandonment among other things. Reaching over, he put his arm around her delicate little shoulders and pulled her into his body, feeling her bury her face into his chest. "Nothing's gonna happen, sweetie. Phil loves you like a fat kid loves cake. They're just gonna patch some things up. You've got nothing to worry about."

April looked at him like he was lying. How she wanted to believe his words...

* * *

"So, you never told me what the hell you were doing here."

Phil opened the door of Maria's rental and let her into the passenger seat, before walking around and getting behind the wheel. Pushing the button that started the engine, the car roared to life as he backed out and got onto the road back to the hotel everyone was staying at. Thankfully, she had nothing more than a bump on her noggin and a sore neck that she was given some meds for. He hadn't even realized how fucking hard he had ran into her until he saw the damn melon shaped lump on her head. Luckily for her, she had her long, unruly mane of red hair to hide such a beauty mark.

"I ran into Colt back in Chicago. We were in town and doing a show, and he happened to be backstage. We got to talking and I asked him if it wouldn't be too much trouble if he could bring me with him when he visited you", she said softly, her lilting voice sending a minor chill down his spine. It had been so long since he heard it. "I wanted to see if we could...I don't know, maybe try to rebuild a bridge?"

He couldn't resist the chance to snort his obvious disapproval. Rolling his eyes toward the top of the car, he sighed heavily, closing his eyes and shaking his head. All of this time later, and now she wanted to try being friends again? It had been four damn years since she callously ripped his heart from his chest and threw it into her blender and set it on frappe. Another case of him loving someone and not getting it in return. That's what made what he had with April so special, so treasured to him. The love was equal. "Well, here we go again...", he muttered under his breath as he came to a stop at a red light. "What's your angle this time, woman? You miss being friends so, so much? Or wait, let me guess, you want to buddy up to me so Vince will take you back on?", he asked rhetorically, every word dipped in his trademark sarcasm and venom. The previous sincerity in his voice was gone. He felt bad for what he did to her, but that wasn't going to change a damn thing.

It was Maria's turn to sigh in frustration this time. She knew that Phil was a hard ass and a jerk, a massive douche if one felt like calling him so, so she had to roll with the punches that weren't going to be short in supply. If he wasn't going to believe her words, she was going to have to **show** him just how sincere she was being. "Listen, Phil. I understand that what I did was..."

"Cruel? Wrong? Terrible? Inhumane? A total bitch move?", he rang off, the words falling effortlessly from his lips now. "Maria, you fucking took something that could have been special and treated it like fucking trash. You did it like it was nothing!", he then exclaimed, pulling the car to a stop in the parking lot of the hotel. "Thanks, but no thanks." He got out of the car and stormed off toward the hotel, the clicking of her heels echoing behind him as he tried to walk away from her.

"Phil! Please, wait up!", she called out to him, but he wasn't having any of it. He wanted to be as far away from her as possible, and the last thing he needed right now was for April to see her here. The crazy can of worms would be opened and he'd be responsible for it. Nope. **Not today.**

He was almost at the doors to the hotel when the click of her heels caught up to him, her silky smooth hand grabbing hold of his wrist, effectively stopping him in his tracks. While it had been a while since he had heard her voice, it had been even longer since he had felt her skin against his. He hated to admit that it felt good, that he was actually going to listen to the shit was she was going to say. He blamed April for this change in his attitude.

"Thank you...I'm just going to throw this out there", she began, brushing wisps of red hair out of her eyes. "I regret ending our relationship the way I did. You were nothing but a complete gentleman to me, and I took that for granted. I've never really been able to forgive myself for what happened. So, that being said", she took a deep breath, readying herself for the snarky remark/rejection that was sure to come from his lips. "Would you like to do dinner tonight? My treat."

Phil took his eyes up from the ground to look Maria in her dark green eyes, ones that mirrored his own. She was pouting and giving him that damn puppy dog look that April always gave him dating back to when she was a child. Oh how he so wanted to just tell her she was wasting her time, that she should just go back home and leave him alone. But for some reason unbeknownst to him...he couldn't. Again, he blamed April for his softened stance. A year ago, hell, three _months_ ago, he would have dropped a pipe bomb on the red headed vixen in front of him and been done with it.

So, shaking his head, he couldn't believe the words that were about to come out of his mouth. "I can't do dinner tonight, I'm going out with my girlfriend. But I can do lunch tomorrow afternoon. That fair?"

An eager look spread across her manicured face, smiling up at him. "Thank you, Phil", she said, wrapping her arms around his chiseled physique. She then leaned up, her full red lips grazing across his ear, tickling his senses. "I promise you that you won't regret this", she breathed into his ear seductively, placing a kiss on his whiskered cheek.

He watched her enter the hotel and walk into the elevator...right past a curious looking Eve, Nattie and Kaitlyn who were, in turn, heading right in his direction, the three of them giving him questioning looks. Oh.** Fuck.**

"Phil, why was that girl who looked an awful lot like Maria giving you a kiss and looking like she wanted to jump your bones?"

He wanted to crawl into a hole and die right about now.

* * *

_One hour later..._

"So? You gonna spill the beans, Brooks, or are we gonna have to force it out of you?"

Phil snapped his head up at the mention of his last name. If there was one thing that was a sure fire way to get underneath his skin, or to at least get his attention, mentioning him by his last name was it. He glared at Eve through scornful eyes, but all she did was merely shrug her shoulders, folding her caramel colored arms across her chest, taking a seat next to Nattie and Kaitlyn at the table in her room.

This was starting to become a regular occurrence, him getting shit from all sides when it came to the girls. He understood that they all cared about and loved April like she was the collective little sister of the group, especially when it came to Eve and Kaitlyn, but sometimes, especially right now, it was ridiculous. It wasn't like he did anything wrong. They knew how much he loved her...

"You three act like I did some horrible, unspeakable act like cheat on her."

He didn't have enough time to react to Kaitlyn's hand making contact with the back of his head. Cursing aloud and rubbing the spot where she connected, he turned his hateful glare to her, his eye beginning to twitch with unmitigated anger. For some reason, this caused her to grin madly. "Hey gals, look, his eye twitches just like April's when she's mad. How adorable!"

"That is cute now that you mention it", Nattie added, grinning as she reached over to pinch his cheek. It took every ounce of his will power and decency for him to not smack her hand away. "But honestly Phil, what's up? Was that seriously her? If so...wow."

"Wow? What's that supposed to mean?", he asked defensively, surprised with the tone he was taking. The girls had looks of surprise as well. "Don't give me those looks. Yeah it was her, so what of it?"

"Phil, first off, what's she doing here, secondly, how did she know you were here, and thirdly, why was she all over you, looking like you were prey caught in her crosshairs? You're** damn** lucky AJ didn't see that!", Eve said effortlessly, like she had been bottling it up for some time. Phil gave her a look that screamed '_fuck off'_, but he bit down on his lip ring and kept the comments to himself. He knew better than to start a war against the girls.

"She's here because, according to her, she wants to make amends for what she did to me and be friends again...she's here with Colt, and the second I see him, I'm going to kick his teeth down his damn throat, and she was **NOT** all up on me like a piece of meat. I don't know what you saw, Eve, but that wasn't it", he stated defiantly. He wasn't dumb. He knew when women were trying to get into his pants so he could, as Kofi so eloquently put it, 'explode their ovaries'. What Maria was doing wasn't anywhere close to that.

Eve sighed, looking to Nattie and Kaitlyn for some backup, with the two toned Diva nodding her head. It was her turn now to sink her claws into her best friend's boyfriend. "Are you blind, Phil? Stop trying to defend her. We all saw what we saw", she said with a hint of bitterness in her tone. "What if it was April who saw that instead of us? Do you know what that would do to her?"

Phil shook his head, dragging his hand across his face and his front teeth over his lip ring, muttering some colorful words under his breath for the firing squad sitting in front of him. He didn't need this right now. All he wanted to do right now was go back to his room, where April would be waiting for him with that big grin on her adorable little lips, waiting to go out for a night out on the town, and then who knew what. Just thinking about it brightened his disposition a little bit. Standing up and staring down at the three girls, he made the time out motion, signifying that he was done. "Listen girls, I know that you just want what's best for April, and I really appreciate that, and I know she does too, but there's nothing to worry about. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm leaving, because I've got a date tonight, and I don't want to make April wait any longer than she already has."

He moved to open the door, and when he did, his felt his heart move up his lungs and into his mouth. There stood April, looking like a child who got caught with her hand in the cookie jar, while Colt stood mere inches behind her, looking like he just saw the ghost of Dick Murdock. "Did you...did you hear all of that?", he asked April incredulously.

All she could do was slowly nod her head, before she threw herself into his chest, her delicate arms wrapping around his waist as he held her against him. He found himself doing the same with her, but not before he shot Colt the look of death, using only his facial expressions to tell him to get lost, which Colt did in short order. He then turned his attention back to April, running his hand through her long, dark locks, using his other hand to rub her back in a comforting manner. "You've got nothing to worry about, sweet child of mine. It's just lunch. Nothing bad is gonna happen", he whispered to her as he buried his face in her hair. "Hey, buck up, girl. We're gonna have a great time tonight, and after that's over tomorrow, we're gonna spend all day together and we'll do whatever you wanna do. Deal?"

April slowly nodded her head, then looked up into Phil's moss colored eyes and forced a smile for him. It wasn't him that she was worried about. Oh no, she knew where Phil's heart resided, and it was hand in hand with her own. They were soul mates. Nothing was going to come between them if she could help it. So no, she thought to herself as she felt his hands rest on the small of her back, it wasn't him that she was worried about. Maria, on the other hand...

* * *

_The next afternoon..._

"What the **FUCK**, April!?", he screamed at her as he entered their hotel room, with her hot on his trails, her eyes averting his and focusing on the floor. "What the fuck was that all about out there, _hmm?_"

She said nothing, she couldn't. She didn't think that her little plan would be found out. She knew better though, to underestimate him and his brains, and to think that she could slip one by him like this. She deserved the tongue lashing she was about to get right now.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice Michelle and Layla sitting there, gawking at me like I had five fucking heads? Why did you think it would be a good idea to have them spy on me!? I told you, you had nothing to worry about!", he yelled again, almost hyper-ventilating, his face turning a shade of crimson. "What, you don't trust me!?"

April looked up into Phil's rage addled eyes, and suddenly, something dawned on her. She remembered her last date with Nick...running into Alicia at both the restaurant and the hotel...she felt herself becoming brave as she jabbed him in the chest with her finger, backing him up out of her bubble.

"Don't act all angry with me, Phillip! I only did what **YOU** did when I went out on all those dates with Nick!", she countered with. The color drained from his face, but he quickly shook his head and had that angered look again. "I could say the same thing to you! _You_ didn't trust _me_ when it came to me going out with Nick!"

Phil scoffed. "April, we **both** know that's bullshit. I didn't trust **HIM** with you. Yeah, sure, I know I was a dick and I jerked you around for a while and I never should have, but that made you vulnerable and everyone knows how much of a lady killer Nick can be! I had the girls spy on you to make sure he didn't try anything! I did it because I cared about you!"

It was April's turn to roll her eyes and scoff at him. "And I did this not because I don't trust you, because I trust you with my heart and soul, but because I don't trust your ex! I've heard about her from Eve and Nattie! She's a god damn floozy! She had her hands all over you today, Phil! How can you be so oblivious to that! She wants you, and she doesn't care if you're dating me or not! Are you blind!?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, April!", he yelled back. "She's a friendly person, that's all! She wasn't touching me anywhere, she wasn't trying to seduce me or anything. I know when-"

"Oh now she's friendly? You hated her guts a week ago, now she's friendly!? And plus, she was placing kisses all over your cheek and ears and whatever! Her hand was hovering around your groin at all times! How can you say that she wasn't trying to get you into her bed!?", April shrieked, cutting him off. "What's next, she's gonna invite you over and then have her way with you?"

Phil was on the verge of blowing the fuck up on April, and Lord willing, he didn't want to have to do that to the girl he loved more than anything. His pipe bombs were reserved for those he loathed and regarded as scum, and dropping one on April wasn't going to do anyone any favors. So he did the one thing he thought would be best for them both right now. Grabbing his phone, key card and his Misfits hoodie, he stopped at the door only so he could address his girlfriend.

"I don't like where this is going right now, so I'm leaving and taking a walk to clear my mind. I don't know when I'll be back...I'll talk to you later."

He heard her scream and throw something against the wall in frustration as he closed the door and walked down the hall. No sooner than he had left, though, he felt his phone buzzing as he entered the elevator. As he walked off, he dug his phone out and called the number back. It was Vince. _'What did I do now?'_, he asked himself as he waited for the other line to click.

"Yeah Vince, what is it?", he asked irritably. "Uh huh...yeah...I'm heading up the New Nexus, I know...it's gonna lead to a big push, right?...what?...okay...you're kidding...what the fuck?...you're fucking high...uh, no...yeah, we're just about done here...oh, we're not?...well, I tell you when we are, and we're done...take your contract extension and **SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS.**"

That was the final straw. He didn't need this shit, not right now, not when he and April were at odds. Vince wanted him to serve as filler for his precious John Boy while he got ready for Mizanin and Dwayne at Mania? He wanted him to come out looking like a fucking fool with his feud with Randal? He wanted him to be **FILLER?** An afterthought? A **NOBODY?** Hell fucking no. He was Phil Brooks. Better yet, he was CM Punk. He took a back seat to no one. His career should be on the upswing, not going south. He was done playing second fiddle to people like Mike, John and Randal. He was their superior in every way. And now they wanted him to sign a god damn extension? So they could crush his soul and grind him into paste some more? So he could be treated like shit? No. Not anymore. It would be 2011 in three days, and his contract was up in July. His mind was made up. Consequences were going to be damned.

Come July, in Chicago, at Money In The Bank...he was leaving.

* * *

**And that's that! The ball is rolling now as we enter the fateful year of 2011 here in the story...everyone knows what happened then. But what's gonna happen here? You'll just have to tune in to find out as I hand this over to Foxy...see ya later everyone!**


	20. ghosts of the past

**Hello again, Red Foxy here with another update to this story. Hope everyone is still enjoying it. Thank you very much for all the follows and reviews, White Firebird and I love reading them all.**

* * *

Punk stumbled backstage, totally wrecked. His body hurt so much he didn't know if he could make it back to the locker rooms without help. To his astonishment, his legs still carried him, but it felt more like a dream than reality. Maybe he floated into the back, or was he carried? He didn't know, he just knew he was on his feet now and he longed to get himself to the trainer's room for a few ice packs. Taking a boot in the face from John Cena hadn't been at the top of his to do list, but duty called, and he delivered as usual. He never let anyone down. Not any one. Especially himself. He still planned to leave on the eve of his contract being up, and he hadn't told April whether it was for real or not. Most of everything floating backstage was just rumour, and he planned to keep it like that. Besides, it wasn't like she'd spoken to him very much in the past couple of days anyhow.

Things were strained between them ever since Maria started popping up everywhere, and this thing with his contract wasn't helping matters. He wasn't happy with Maria suddenly arriving in the same places he had planned to be publicly. It was like that woman had a sixth sense as to where he would be, what media he had planned, everything... She would pretend it was accidental that they would run into one another, but he knew better, and so did April. He couldn't blame the poor girl for feeling insecure and having her friends spy on his lunch date with Maria, but he wanted her to trust him. He felt he hadn't done anything wrong, and really, he hadn't.

Phil pushed the door to the locker room open and collapsed on the bench, discarding his kicks and boots in short order. Grabbing a towel he headed into the showers. He was alone and he was completely worn out. Hanging the towel on a hook, he pulled off his shorts and twisted the taps until the water ran hot. The unmistakable, heavy odour of chlorine hanging in the air stung his eyes and burned his nostrils, as he stepped into the cubicle.

The moment he immersed himself under the steady stream of liquid fire, his body tensed, slowly getting used to the first bite of the water pinging against his taut, tender skin. Leaning his head back, he slicked his hands across his face and up over his head, allowing the soothing sensation drift over him. He felt as if his body were experiencing a violent cold chill one moment, then a melting heat wave the next. He could feel the tension slowly start to dissipate with each drop, hot steam completely encircling him like a fog. Grabbing his shower gel he lathered it into his hands, then started to soap up his arms and chest, moving into his hair and around his neck.

* * *

She walked into the locker room, without a thought about knocking first to make sure there weren't a few other men inside. She didn't care anyway, she was here to see Punk. Upon hearing the shower and seeing his discarded clothing littering the benches, she smiled. This would be a great opportunity to make things better between them, seeing as the last few days had been somewhat rough and awkward for them both. She'd make sure he was feeling better by the time he finished with this shower, she was counting on it.

Phil relaxed his shoulder against the cool tiles and let the water bead down across his weary face, chest and back, finally feeling decompressed enough to breathe again. He didn't even hear her nip in behind him. When he felt a small hand caress his shoulder, he stilled.

"Shh... _let me_." It was a quiet whisper he could hardly hear with the water rushing over them both. She slid her fingers across his soapy shoulder blades, encouraging him to loosen up and enjoy.

Closing his eyes he sighed. _April_... finally. Her hands slipped down his well-defined biceps, teasing and swirling around his colourful skin, then up again over his sharply cut shoulders to his back, sliding around his narrow, well honed hips. Phil released a soft, throaty groan when he felt the side of her face pressed against his back, smoothing her cheek along the sore muscles there.

She found herself in complete awe of his hard, lean frame as he stood naked before her, all two hundred and twenty glorious pounds, soaking wet. There was no use even trying to tear her gaze or hands from the pale outline of his magnificent, tattooed form now... she was hooked, and without his even realizing it, he was reeling her in.

Her finger tips lightly traced their way over the dents of his hips and around front, tickling his tight belly. She could feel his stomach muscles contract the moment she brushed over his skin, bringing a naughty grin to her full, red lips. This was going to be so much fun, she told herself... and could feel his tension disappear almost completely under her touch. Just like before.

Standing straight, she hooked her hands over his shoulders once again and started to kiss the back of his neck, and he growled, partly from the fluttery feeling she was leaving in the wake of her soft lips, and partly from the feel of her breasts skimming along his back like liquid velvet. Her fingers were pushing through his hair when he froze... something didn't feel right. She was too tall, and April wasn't _that _big... that sudden, alarming sinking feeling didn't even do it justice.

Spinning about-face he caught her by the arms, his dark, foreboding eyes boring a hole right through her head.

"Maria! What the fuck?"

"I was trying to surprise you and, and..."

"Surprise me? You have _no_ business being in here with me at all! Are you that bat shit crazy?"

She glared at him, knowing better than to start putting up a fight with him in there.

Pointing to the door he angrily shouted at her. "Get out of here and don't come back, do you understand that?" When she just stood there staring at him with that stupid bimbo expression he hated most, he felt like he was going to lose his mind. "Jesus Christ, Maria, just go!"

Her entire body jumped, and she quickly removed herself from his presence, immediately grabbing up a towel and her clothes. She sure hoped all this was worth it.

He gave her a minute, then exited the shower himself. Wrapping a towel around his slender hips, he stalked out after her to lecture her some more on how idiotic this stunt was. When he finally did make it out into the main locker room area, she was just smoothing her little blue dress down around her thighs. He had no clue what to even say, and found it really difficult to even look at her now. But that was the least of his problems...

April was standing there, eying them both acutely. The fact that they were both still wet and obviously just out of the shower not missed by her. Phil was only draped in a small towel, barely hiding anything at all, and Maria... her slinky mini-dress stuck to her wet skin and water still beading down her arms and back. She had managed to slick down her long hair with her hands, the thick, red tresses still so water-logged that they left a long wet streak down the centre of her back, pooling on the floor where she stood in her bare feet.

The mortified look on Phil's face alarmed her more than anything else, and she couldn't help but wonder what had just transpired between the two ex-lovers. Her gut started to burn, and her heart-felt like someone was squeezing the life right out if it as her chest tightened in distress. She suddenly felt woefully inadequate being with him now... realizing Maria was older and more experienced that she, and couldn't help thinking maybe he might be sorry he got involved with such a child.

"April, it's not what it looks like." He said, attempting to head off the inevitable tsunami, if that was even possible at this point. He was painfully aware of how it looked.

He could see her eyes darting every place around the room except to him. He couldn't tell if she was more angry or hurt. He guessed both.

Quickly leaving the couple to implode on themselves, Maria fished her phone from her purse. It had been easier than she imagined, and getting yelled at by him was well worth the look on his face when April showed up.

_Mission accomplished_

_x_

_that quickly?_

_x_

_yep, you owe me, I almost got killed_

_x_

_what, punk not enjoy seeing you naked or what?_

_x_

_Punk doesn't enjoy anything anymore... lets just say I think the path is clear for you now_

x

"Please, can you tell me what it is, then? What does it look like to you Phil? _What_?" She waved her arms in the air, stepping up to him.

He knew he couldn't explain this away. "Look, anything I could say about it will be weak at best, and if I were you I would come to the same conclusion... but April, honestly, I did not invite her in here, and I certainly didn't realize it was her right away. It wasn't until she touched me..."

"She, _she touched you_?" Her eyes narrowed into little black slits, looking like she was ready to go on a murderous rampage now, starting with Punk.

"Come on, she stepped in from behind and I thought it was you! She was there less than a minute before I turned around and realized it!"

"How the hell could you not know it wasn't me? Were you bloody well blindfolded?"

"The shower was steamy, and I did in fact, have my eyes closed... I was relaxing, trying to get rid of the soreness my entire body felt after that fucking match with Super Cena! In case you didn't see it I got a size eleven boot to the face!" He pointed to the small scrapes and bruising starting to form along his left cheek bone. "I did not invite her here, and never ever would! Fuck April, I don't even like the woman..."

"You have a strange way of proving that, Phil... going out to lunch with her and all." April motioned towards the towel covering his waist. She sighed, her pretty face crestfallen and mournful. "I'm still just a kid to you, aren't I? I'm, I'm not enough..."

"Oh, no, no no... that's not true." He took a step towards her, his hand grazing the side of her face. She still refused to meet his gaze. He brought his other hand up to the side of her head and tilted it up so he could see her. It broke his heart to think she felt deficient in any way. "Listen to me... I don't care what it looked like, it's not what you're thinking and never... never would I cheat on you."

April's lower lip was quivering, wanting to believe his words. Her own feelings of low self-worth at the moment really started to rise up now, and she imagined how many things he must have done with that woman over the course of their relationship. How many times they had explored one another's bodies, how many sexual tangos they must have participated in together. How much she had not done with him. How much he had still to teach her... the bottom was falling out from underneath her, and she realized how woefully inexperienced she really was. She was nothing new to him.

"I'm not good enough for you, and I never will be!" She ripped herself out of his grasp and took a few steps back. "You need that kind of woman in your bed, not some little baby like myself that has to Google how to pleasure a man! Oh yeah, I looked up everything and you know what, I still can't get it right! I can't compete with her!"

"Compete with her... Are you kidding me? You don't think you got it right?" He reached for her hand and pressed it to his chest. His heart beat was strong and steady, and she clearly felt every powerful thud under her palm. She watched his eyes, taking careful inventory of every soft curve, every subtle nuance, every breath. "This, it beats for you, April. Only you. Still think you don't do it for me?" He quietly rasped into her ear. "_I only want you_."

The sensation made all the hairs stand up on her body and she licked her lips. His voice made her weak in the knees and she almost believed him. Almost...

"I'm not an idiot, and I know when I need to bow out, Phil! You didn't want this from the start, I remember, don't you? You pushed me away, said I was too young, hell, I should have listened he first time instead of embarrassing myself! You don't need me."

He rolled his eyes, frustrated and mad as hell with Maria over her little stunt. "April, please... think about it. Why on earth would I ask another woman into the shower, knowing full well you'll be along at anytime? That would be stupid, and I'm not stupid, nor would I ever do that to you. Not to mention that it's against every code of ethics I live by! You're crazy to think I would pull something like that!"

He called her crazy.

Her hand pulled back with every intention of slapping the lies right out of his mouth, but he was too fast for her, catching her by the wrist before she could connect. Immediately she brought her other hand up of which he also snared in his steely grip. Bending over slightly, so he could be at eye level with his extremely insecure girlfriend, he dragged his two front teeth anxiously over his bottom lip, unsure just how to proceed.

In a slow, deliberately drawled out tone, he knew he had to make it clear. "If I was guilty of _anything_, I would _let_ you slap the hell out of me, because I would deserve it. No questions asked. But not in this instance. I'm not the guilty party here, and when I find out what Maria's fucking little game is, she's the one who's getting the tongue lashing, not me. So you don't get to punish me for something _I didn't do_."

Wrenching her arms away from him she rubbed at her wrists, her watery, dark brown eyes glaring at him. His hands cupped her shoulders, and ran up and down along her arms to try to soothe her. He hated this. Neither one of them had done anything wrong, and yet here they both were, hurting. Pulling her into his arms he could feel her unwillingness to loosen up and trust in what he was telling her. _Come on, come on, come on_... He knew she loved him, she was just being stubborn. Smoothing his hands down the length of her thick, wavy brown hair he rocked her back and forth, waiting to feel her body relax just a little.

"Come on April, she was playing a sick game, and we were the intended victims. I know that bitch all too well. She's up to something, and I really hope she didn't succeed here. Please sweetheart, don't let her win."

When she finally wrapped her arms around his waist he sighed with relief and pulled her closer, tucking her head under his chin. She buried her face into his chest and squeezed him tightly, afraid to let go.

He was going to find out what the fuck this bullshit was all about, one way or another.

* * *

T**hanks again for reading. It's White Firebird's turn next. **

**Please do check out the AU story I'm writing of Punk and AJ, The Unquiet Grave. :)**

**If you are interested in our forum, visit the link in my profile. :)**


	21. one foot out the door

**Hey everyone! White Firebird with the new update. So glad everyone's still enjoying this! Red Foxy and I love seeing the feedback we get from everyone. It makes us enjoy writing this story that much more. With that, on with the show!**

* * *

_hey...we need to talk. just you and me._

_x_

_oh? what about?_

_x_

_i've realized something over the past few days..._

_x_

_and what would that be?_

_x_

_meet me in my locker room after the show and you'll see._

_x_

_;)_

_x_

April hastily placed Phil's phone back in his bag after hearing the sound of the door shutting close. There was no way he could find out about what she had just done, or what she was going to do later tonight. If he did...he'd tell her that he regretted not being able to do it first, right before he scolded her for doing something so rash without thinking of the consequences. But, she silently reasoned to herself, those consequences went right out the window the moment that bitch got in the shower with him...touched him...made her doubt herself...tried breaking their entire world apart. She wasn't getting off easy, no way.

Payback was a bitch, and Maria was going to find that fact out one way or another.

"Hey, here's your Pepsi...you okay? You look like you're thinking about something."

She shook her head, turning her attention back to her curious boyfriend. He was bedecked out in his black and red ring gear, putting the final touches on it by sliding his Nexus armband up around his inked bicep. Grabbing his shirt off the rack and slinging it over his shoulder, he sat down next to her, a questioning look on his whiskered face. Something was up. He knew as much. He could see it all over her perfectly sculpted face.

"Penny for your thoughts, April Jeanette?"

She closed her eyes and winced; he only called her that when he wanted something from her. Was she really being that obvious? She couldn't afford to be. He couldn't know about her plans. If he did, he'd instantly put the kibosh on it and reprimand her for acting out in such an immature manner, and the last thing she needed was him calling her immature. She was still feeling like the low girl on the totem pole because of that episode in the shower, and him calling her crazy that night did her no favors either. She wasn't crazy. She wasn't. He knew that. She knew that. So it was left at that. "I'm just thinking about something Kait told me when we were training the other day, nothing major."

Phil gave her a look that basically said, _'You're lying'_, and his body language showed it too. Resting his elbows on his legs and propping his chin up with his taped fists, he just stared at her, hoping to make her as uncomfortable as possible. To his surprise, she didn't immediately cave like she usually did, but he did notice her squirm around in her seat a little bit, so it was working. "April...what're you hiding from me."

"Kait's been having some problems with her family back home in Texas and it's really bothering her, and it's bothering me knowing that I can't do anything to help her as her best friend." She did her best to make it sound like the line wasn't completely rehearsed and forced, and honestly, she felt like she had done a good enough job of that. Tucking a strand of her dark brunette locks behind her ear, she looked Phil in the eye and bit down on her lower lip, and when his inquiring look disappeared and was replaced with a sympathetic smile, she knew he had bought it. He was such a sucker for that one little thing. "I just feel bad, you know? She's my best friend and all..."

He placed his hand on her knee and rubbed it soothingly, trying to ease the tension away that was in her body. "I know how you feel, sweetheart. Luke and his dad are going through some shit back in Chicago, the big bastard won't open up to anyone about it. Wish there was something I could do about it, but you know how life is sometimes..." He cut himself off when he saw the rest of the New Nexus standing in the doorway to his dressing room. Otunga, Ryan, McGillicutty, and Harris. His soldiers were ready to go to war.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we gotta roll, _Punk_", Otunga said rather stiffly, shooting April a dirty look, one she returned. Phil saw the look on his face and rolled his eyes. Taking her hand into his own and bringing it up to his hair, he let her spike it up for him, the last touch on his appearance for tonight.

"I'll be right there, _Mr. Hudson_, and curb the damn attitude, all right?", he shot back, turning his focus on April one last time. "Don't mind him, he's just angry because I'd rather spend my time with you rather than him and the boys. But my segment and match is up, so after that we'll head out and grab a bite to eat, my treat. I'll see you here when I'm done?", he asked, sitting up and sliding his shirt over his toned, tattooed and taut body, smiling down at his girlfriend.

April returned the smile, standing up with him to give him a good luck kiss. "I'll be watching, my big bad Nexus leader", she said teasingly, her fingers tracing the bright yellow 'N' on the sleeve of his shirt.

"Good, then we'll talk about what you're hiding from me and why it's bad to try and keep things from your boyfriend who knows when his girlfriend is lying through her teeth to him", he said, placing a peck on her cheek and giving her that cocksure, almost sarcastic smirk of his before turning on his heel and walking through the door, leaving April with her jaw on the floor and her face flushed with humiliation.

"Son of a bitch...you can't hide anything from that jerk...he really** is** Batman..."

At least he didn't know about how everything was going to hit the fan in a matter of an hour...

* * *

She walked down the near empty halls of the arena, the sound of her heels clicking against the floor with each step echoing off the walls and right back at her. A stick of bubble gum smacked against her lips as she blew a bubble then brought it back in, quickly fishing her pocket mirror out of her purse to make sure that her lipstick was unaffected. She smiled when it wasn't. Why would it be? She knew she was perfect in every definition of the word.

This was going to be great. She was almost positive that Phil wanted to talk to her and tell her that he wanted to take her back, and honestly, who could blame him? She was a hellcat, a dangerous little kitten, a sex bomb. She was such an upgrade over that childish little twerp AJ, and when she was done with him, AJ would be but a distant, forgotten memory, and he'd be exploring her body once more with the ferociousness that he once did. And God, would she be doing some exploring of her own...

She didn't understand why her friend was so hung up on that kid AJ anyways. She was a geek, a nerd! So young and inadequate and unaware of the real world...everything about her just screamed charity case. And the way she dressed...good lord, she needed help with everything. But what did she care? She'd have Phil again, and her old buddy would be free to do whatever the hell he wanted to with that kid. As long as she had what she wanted and was getting paid on top of it...nothing else mattered. That's why this special little meeting would be so perfect. Just her...and him...all alone in his locker room...the things she was going to do to him...she got that white hot, burning sensation in the pit of her stomach...the thought of him being all over and inside of her again made her want to drool with anticipation.

Checking the curls in her fire engine red hair, she smiled to herself, content with how she appeared. Smoothing out her slinky, tiny dress that left way too little to the imagination, Maria arrived at Phil's door and knocked twice, expecting him to open the door right away and pull her inside and...well, the rest would be history. When she heard nothing, she knocked again, and on the fourth try, the door slowly swung open, revealing nothing but darkness._ 'Ooh, I already like where this is going'_, she thought to herself as she stepped in and came to a halt in what she thought was the middle of the room. "Phil? I'm here...you can come out and play now. I promise I won't bite...too hard..."

What she heard next sent a chill down her spine; the laugh sounded maniacal, crazy even. That didn't sound anything like Phil... "You think just because you've done things with Phil that I haven't, it gives you the right to try and break us up for your own selfish gains?", the voice shrouded in darkness called out. "It **doesn't.** I love that man more than anything in this world, and I'm not going to let you come between us because _I_ have what _you_ want. He's mine, and nobody else's. You don't get to touch him...you don't get to do _anything_ anymore."

Maria could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer. "You left our world a few years ago...but for one night only, I'm going to bring you back into it and show you what you've been missing."

The lights flicked on and she spun around to see AJ, her hand on the switch, a dark, crazy look in her eyes. "This is what you get for touching my boyfriend, you **bitch!**"

She didn't even have enough time to react as AJ charged and took her down to the ground.

* * *

Phil took a deep breath and sighed as he made his way behind the curtain, walking down the steps of the Gorilla position and into the backstage halls, his New Nexus following closely behind. None of them had said a word to him since their segment ended, keeping silent as he seethed at the liberty Randy had taken in breaking his nose with an errant uppercut. He made sure that Randy paid for it tenfold with the GTS he delivered that would leave a nice, deep shiner underneath the so called 'Viper's' eye.

"How's your nose, man?", Mason asked in his thick Welsh accent. All he got in response was Phil turning around, murder in his heavy lidded eyes, blood still pouring out of his nose, his wrist tape now covered in it as he wiped it away as best he could. Shaking his head, he forged ahead, doing his best to ignore the chatter around him, from the stagehands, from his group, from everyone they passed. He was just so focused on getting back to his locker room and seeing April and leaving...she knew how to calm him down. He was so ready to get the hell out of here that he almost didn't notice Kaitlyn running right at him, damn near toppling him over.

He saw that she was out of breath, her cheeks flushed. "What is it, Lassie? Did Timmy fall down the well again?", he said, getting a laugh out of the guys and a punch on his shoulder from her. When she didn't come back at him with an equally snarky or sarcastic jab, he knew something was up. "Kait, take a deep breath and then tell me what's going on. Is everything okay?"

The two toned Diva shook her head before sucking in some air and steadying herself, placing her hand on his shoulder to balance herself. "You need to get to your locker room, Phil", she gasped out, taking another deep breath as she pushed off of him and stood up straight, looking him in the eye, ignoring the blood that was seemingly everywhere. "April..."

He didn't even wait for her to finish her sentence; he was off to the races, streaking down the hall, not caring if his men or Kait was following after him. Many thoughts coursed through his head as he ran, all of them bad. What if something happened to her while he was out there? He'd feel like the biggest pile of shit alive if she hurt herself somehow and he wasn't there to protect her...reaching the door, he kicked it open, and what he saw shocked him, but on a completely different level than from what he was expecting.

What he saw was Maria and April rolling around on the floor, the entire place in shambles because of the two girls, both of them screaming and pulling on each other's hair, while referees and stagehands stood around like a bunch of idiots, watching the entire thing unfold and not doing a damn thing to try and break it up. Instinctively, he reached forward to try and pry April off of his ex, but he nearly took her Converse to his already busted nose, so he quickly backed off and watched as his past and present clashed. A few seconds later, he felt Mason's large hand grip him on the shoulder and Kaitlyn brush by him into the room, signifying their appearances.

After they kept rolling around, April mounted Maria and slugged her right in the face, the sound of her fist connecting with Maria's cheekbone causing everyone in the room to cringe. She then slid her body to the side and locked in the Anaconda Vice. Needless to say, Phil was equally blown away and wondering just how the fuck this happened when he reached in and wrapped his arms around April's body, getting her to release the hold as Maria tapped out, while the referees moved in and helped her to her feet. God, did she look like she had been thrown for a loop. Her red hair was a mess, she was sporting a deep shiner of her own, her makeup was smeared all over her face, and her dress was in tatters.

"That's what you get for thinking you can steal my boyfriend from me!", April yelled, and it was then that he noticed that in her tiny little hand was a chunk of red hair. "If I ever see you around him again..."

Phil turned to Mason and Kaitlyn, handing his girlfriend off to the colossus. "You two, take her to the Diva's locker room and stay there." He then turned his focus on the rest of his New Nexus. "Otunga, Husky, McGillicutty, you three head on out. If anyone asks about this, tell them it's under control and that they've got nothing to worry about."

The five of them did as they were told, despite protests from a still kicking and screaming April as she was being carried out of the room in the big arms of Mason. By now, Maria had been sat in a chair and was being tended to by a referee when he grabbed his own chair and slid it up right in front of her, sitting on it backwards, his grey green eyes glaring at her, but she didn't meet his gaze. So he was going to make her.

"**Look at me!**", he exclaimed, causing his ex to jump in her seat a bit, her dark blue orbs finally looking up at him. She grimaced when she saw the rage in his eyes and the dried blood that was smeared across his face. "I don't know how you got here, or who tipped you off to my whereabouts again, but you're lucky that you're getting off this easy", he said in a low growl, grinding his teeth together as he spoke. "I should have let AJ whale on you some more. Lord knows you've put that girl through enough hell these past few weeks."

She scoffed at him, rolling her eyes as she was handed an ice pack for her now bruised cheek. "That'd be just like you, to play innocent and act like you didn't set this whole thing up. You should quit wrestling and become a puppeteer, really you should. Luring me here then letting her do your dirty work..."

He raised an eyebrow at her accusations. "What the hell are you talking about, you crazy, crazy lady? I had no idea this happened. I was out in the ring with my men, I returned backstage to the two of you clawing and scratching at each other. So just what the fuck do you mean, _I lured you here?_"

"Hey, we need to talk. Just you and me", she said, grabbing her phone and showing her the text messages in question. "I've realized something over the past few days. Meet me in my locker room after the show and we'll see. All sent from **YOUR** phone, Phillip. Don't act so dumb with me, you set it up for her to assault me..."

His eyes widened, and a thought flashed through his mind. Grabbing her phone from her hand, he looked at the time they were sent, and he saw that they were sent right before he left to go out to the ring...right away, he knew the entire deal. Closing his eyes, shaking his head, and heaving a long, heavy sigh from his lips, he re-opened them and turned his steely glare back onto Maria. He could see her begin to wilt underneath it, and through gritted teeth, he said to her, "I hope you've learned your lesson today, little girl. I never want to see your face again, and if I do, I promise that AJ won't let you off the hook as easily as she did today. Capice?"

Maria went to say something in response, but before she could even get a word out, Phil was out of his seat, tossing it to the side, as he stormed out of the room and just down the hall to the Divas locker room. Upon reaching the door, he could still hear April screaming, wanting herself more of Maria's ass to kick around the entire arena. He had to admit, if he wasn't so pissed at the stunt she pulled, he'd be laughing his ass off at the language she was using; he couldn't recall a time where she had ever dropped the f-bomb once, let alone multiple times.

Pushing the door open, April was still thrashing and kicking about in Mason's massive, bulging arms, while Kaitlyn was doing her best under the circumstances to calm her best friend down. Upon seeing him, Mason handed her off and Phil took her by the arms, pulling her into his body so he could look her straight in the eye. She couldn't lie her way out of this one, no way, not this time. She was still too fired up to notice the look that he was giving her, looking over his shoulder to the door. "Let me go Phil, I'm not done killing her yet."

"Yeah, you are. Now we're gonna have that talk I said we'd have earlier", he said sternly, leaving no room for argument in his tone of voice. Immediately, she looked into his moss colored eyes and saw that he wasn't joking. If she was going to have any chance of remaining on his good side, she figured, she might as well come out with it and not beat around the bush...so she didn't.

"I'm sorry", she said, catching him a bit off guard. He thought he was going to have to work to get an apology out of her. "I know that what I did was totally wrong and untrustworthy, and I deserve every bit of what you're going to say...but in my defense, you can't blame me for doing it! She touched you, she was in that shower, naked with you!", she exclaimed, defending her actions. "She's done so much with you...she's experienced...I'm still using Google to see if I'm doing everything right...it scared me..."

Right away, he felt his heart strings being tugged at. He knew that April was still learning, and had many issues with being insecure...but hearing her confession made him feel like the biggest asshole in the world for ever being mad at her. He realized that what Maria had been doing went a lot deeper than what he was seeing on the surface, and instinctively, he wrapped his arms around April's quaking body, smoothing her hair out along her back, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Shhh...you've got nothing to worry about anymore...it was just a disgusting ploy on her part to break us up. She learned her lesson...it's smooth sailing from here on out. We won't be seeing her ever again, I promise you that."

"You're not mad at me for using your phone to lure her here?", April asked, looking up at him with watering, pleading eyes. He shook his head.

"No, sweetheart, I'm not. I could never stay mad at you...it's water under the bridge."

His thoughts drifted back to Maria as he caught a quick glimpse of a few tears rolling down his girlfriend's face. The damage had been done already. Shaking his head, he wanted nothing more than to kill that red headed bitch with his words for what he had done to April.

As if the road hadn't been rocky enough as it is...

* * *

"Woah. You look like shit."

She glared at him, such contempt in her black and blue eyes. She looked like she bad been through the wringer one too many times. "How'd this happen?"

"That bitch you have your mind so dead set on did this to me. What the hell do you see in that crazy, psycho killer? She ripped a chunk of my hair out, you bastard, and all you have to say is that I look like shit?", Maria damn near yelled at him, causing people to stare. He chuckled. He knew that April Jeanette Mendez had a wild, crazy side but this...damn. This was almost too much. It turned him onto her more than ever. He liked a fighter, and she proved she was more than capable.

"I don't know what to say. You knew what you were getting into when I asked you to involve yourself..."

"Oh fuck you", she spat at him, standing up. "This is over. I want nothing more to do with this. Even that prick Phil isn't worth getting my hair ripped out. You're on your own from here on out, you jerk."

He made no attempt to stop her from leaving. Instead, he smirked. Maria, she had done more than enough. He knew that April was mentally frail, having many insecurities and the like. She clung to whoever would pay her attention like a life preserver. In this case, for most of her life, it had been Punk, but that was all about to change. He glanced at his phone, checking the date. It was now the first of February, five months from D-Day, as he referred to it.

Punk was leaving when his contract was up in July. He had heard the rumors, but he had a front row view to it, and he knew that he was gone. It was written all over in his body language and his lackadaisical mood when it came to the contract extension they kept offering him at every turn. He also knew that Punk hadn't gotten around to telling April about it...he had a feeling he was going to wait till the last minute...or not tell her at all, and just up and leave. He didn't care what happened.

Punk was on his way out, and he was going to make sure he helped push him out the door...and when all was said and done, he'd swoop in and mend the pieces of April's broken heart.

He'd be exactly what she needed from a man...and more.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed! It's Red Foxy's turn next with this sucker. Check out her stories, The Uniquet Grave and Dream Come True, they're both great reads! Plus, check out the forum she created, the link is in her profile, and check out Punklee Nation, the community created by Jean The Guardian, filled with all your favorite stories! See ya soon!**


	22. deserving of the truth

**All righty then! Finally, Red Foxy has returned to My Life Was Simple! I had other things being worked on, and no, I did not give up on this story, as I stated in the review section. I have been busy.**

**I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and I am sorry it took this long. :)**

* * *

Punk hated having to show up for these stupid meetings. It was just going to be another lame attempt to get him to sign that fucking contract they wanted so damned badly. He'd already turned them down four times so far, what could they possibly offer him this time to make him change his mind? He was burned out from the travel schedule, the bullshit, everything. Truthfully, he was looking forward to a vacation. He hadn't had one in years.

"You're late, Punk."

"And you're dreaming, Vince."

The Chairman snorted at his valuable young talent, well aware that the man knew damned well why he'd been summoned, yet again, to his office. "Let's just cut to the chase, shall we?" He tossed a contract across his desk towards the elusive Chicago native and motioned to the black leather seat in front of him. "Please, sit."

Punk raised his eyebrows suspiciously at the gesture, a curious glint in his pale green eyes. "I think I'll just stand, thanks. _So_," he leaned over and plucked the dossier from the desk, "is this your latest feeble attempt to keep me from leaving after Money in the Bank?" He gave the document a lazy once over before flipping it back at Vince. "You know I'm not signing this, right?"

"Look, Punk... be reasonable. This revised contract is very generous and I think you should take a closer look. Go on..." He urged, pushing it back towards a wary Punk.

Phil's eyes snapped from the contract to Vince, and back again. His gut was burning with indecision. He picked it up again, and glancing to Vince one more time, started to thumb through it. He'd already signed the extension that would keep him working up to the next PPV, and this one... it really was generous, he couldn't disagree with that, but... hell. There was no way he was signing with WWE for another five years.

"Forget this. I'm out of here as of Money in the Bank. Gone... adios amigos." He dropped the contract under Vince's nose and started to leave. He only had the door open a bit when his boss started shouting. Phil cringed at the sound of the Chairman losing his proverbial cool, his hand still wrapped around the door handle.

"Don't you dare leave this office!" He yelled, slamming his fist down in front of him. "What the fuck else could you possibly want, Punk? I'm not about to let you hold this company hostage, you got that? Not while I'm still breathing!"

Phil let go of a bored, exaggerated sigh, allowing his chin drop to his chest and shoulders to sag in a desperate sign of exhaustion over the whole conversation. Slowly, he turned back around, and leaning forward ever so slightly, placed his hands on his hips. Tilting his head a little, he gave a short, sharp nod.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, you better believe it, Punk. You're no better than anyone else."

"Then you best start holding your breath, old man. I'm not your average bear that you can control with a nice fat, picnic basket!" His eyes narrowed, a disapproving snarl curling at the corners of his mouth. "That's your problem, you know... I AM better than everyone else, including your golden child, Cena! I'm the best in the world, Mister Chairman! You're just too fucking stupid to acknowledge that fact!"

"You listen here, Punk! This is going to be my final offer. If you walk out of that door, that's it! It will be over my dead body that you dictate anything to ME!"

"Start dying then."

Vince just stood there, fire in his eyes. "This isn't over."

"Oh, I think it is, _Vincent_." Phil stalked from the office and started down the hall, more than ready to get the hell out of there and back to his hotel for the evening.

"So, the rumors _are_ true..."

Phil spun around, coming face to face with Wade Barrett. His eyes narrowed with mistrust, immediately remembering his last encounter with the big Englishman. "Wade, when did you take up skulking around the hallways at head office?"

"Oh, I'm not skulking around anything... but you, _you_ appear to be."

"How's that?" He asked, and leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest as if he didn't already know what the other man was insinuating.

"Well, the door was open, and I happened to be walking by... Are you trying to hold Vince up for more money? Or are you just tired of the travel schedule?" He asked sarcastically, and stepping up closer, he also folded his arms across his now puffed out chest.

"If I didn't know any better, Wade, I would swear this is just a case of sour grapes. Can't handle the fact that you're no longer heading up Nexus? You were ineffective as leader then, and you'll always be." Punk started to chuckle, and made a move to walk away.

"Hold it right there."

Phil paused, giving Wade one of his disinterested, '_aren't we done yet_' expressions. "What the fuck could you possibly want, besides a broken nose?"

"You think you have everyone fooled, don't you Punk? While I'm not happy with the latest developments where Nexus is concerned, I did hear you say _very _clearly, you have no intention of signing that contract. Does your little girlfriend know this? Is she aware that her Big Daddy will be abandoning her to the WWE in only a few months time for greener, better pastures?"

"Up yours, Wade... you don't know anything about it, even if you think you do."

Wade sneered at the Chicago native, and stepped up closer. "Tell me Punk, what would your little tart do if, say, she heard that you were lying to her about this?" Phil's stony expression gave it all away and Wade started to openly laugh. "I'm going to assume the answer is, not well."

"I'm only going to say this once, Wade... mind your own business."

"Like you did when you interrupted my conversation with AJ and I got kicked in the face a while back?"

"You weren't minding your business, you were openly preying on my girlfriend." Phil stated, his tone awash with malevolence. "Let me give you a piece of advice, Wade... stay the fuck away from April, or you'll be very, very sorry."

Wade straightened up and snorted out an unimpressed laugh. He stepped to Punk's side and stopped... glancing up and down the hall, he turned his head back to his rival. He knew all he had to do was whisper this information into the right ear. "Not as sorry as you're going to be soon, mate."

* * *

Toeing his shoes off, Phil lay back on the bed, folding his arms behind his head. He hadn't told a soul what his actual plans were, not even AJ. He was her boyfriend, and part of him felt that she did deserve to know, but... He led her to believe his resistance to sign was a game he was playing with Vince, like a cat toying with a mouse. He'd sign, but only when he was good and ready. The truth of it was that he _was_ lying to her, and he had absolutely no intention of re-signing his contract. Having Wade threaten him was just another aggravation to add to the growing shit pile that was his life as of late.

He waited for her in silence, and rubbing at his sore, dark eyes... he turned onto his side and yawned. He was so damn tired, so uninterested in everything. It didn't take long for him to finally fall asleep, that having evaded him for the last two days...

It was two hours later when April finally arrived back to their room. She could see right away that fatigue had utterly claimed him. Good. He needed this so desperately. Removing her shoes and hoodie, she slid carefully onto the bed from behind, doing her utmost not to wake him. To see him finally sleeping so soundly was wonderful, after witnessing his rampant insomnia over the past little while, the sight of him completely passed out gave her the relief _she_ needed. Their schedules had been murder, and Phil had been a lot crankier than usual... once or twice snapping at her out of the blue in the past couple of weeks. She was well aware of the rumors floating around that he was leaving, but she had his assurance that it was just a ploy on his part to piss Vince off. Even so, it bothered her to see him so upset all the time.

She snuggled up close to his back and wrapped her arm over his shoulder, lightly squeezing his large frame to her own. Nuzzling her face at the nape of his neck she sighed, then left a soft kiss there. He didn't even stir. His breathing was steady and even, and he almost seemed to finally have that moment of zen in his chaotic world that he craved so badly. So totally unlike his moody, brooding, conscious self. Part of her wished for a moment that they were just two, ordinary people, living a boring, ordinary life... no sleeping in a different bed every night, no more pandering to the crowds... no more being paraded out like show dogs in the ring. None of that. He was getting older, and she, well, she eventually wanted to settle down in one place and maybe, just maybe have what most little girls dreamed of. She wanted her prince, her castle, and children of her own one day. That would be impossible as long as they were still tied to this business, and she knew it. She had just begun her career, and he was in the prime of his. She remembered as a child after she had moved away from him, hoping eventually they would find their way back together. It warmed her heart to know this one small thing had actually come to pass, and she snuggled her cheek into his back. She was certain the rest of it would one day fall together, and they would be so happy...

She was about to drift off with him when her phone started to vibrate in her back pocket. Letting go of a frustrated sigh she cringed, carefully extracting herself from his warm, sleeping form and rolled to the other side of the bed. Fishing her phone from her pocket, she unlocked it and opened the text.

_The rumors are true, AJ. I heard it with my own ears from Punk's mouth. He's leaving, and he didn't plan on telling you anything about it. He's going to ditch you right along with his career. _

_x_

April sat there, frozen. The text came up from a private number, and who ever left it, didn't identify themselves. What a coward, she thought, nervously biting at her lip. Phil would never do such a thing to her. He would never ambush her like that, not in a million years and a day. She could feel her throat start to close on her, and panic began to course through her tiny body. Was this real? Would he? Could he? She looked over her shoulder to his sleeping form, wondering how this could ever be true. Shaking her head she forced herself to believe it was nothing more than a cruel lie. Someone was playing a mean joke on her. They _had_ to be. Trying to reason with herself, she kept thinking over and over that Phil would never lie to her like this. If he really had wanted out, he would have confided in her.

_You're a liar._

_x_

_Don't believe me? Meet me in the hotel lobby in ten. You'll believe me then._

x

Chewing on her bottom lip some more and wrought with indecision, she glanced back at her lover. He'd turned around now, facing her. Her battle weary warrior, her defender, her best friend. If she wasn't mistaken, there was a hint of a smile on his lips, which was much more than she'd seen lately while he was awake. He looked so peaceful, unfettered... she had loved him so much for so very long. Sure, he was abrasive, difficult to deal with, and at times unnerving but... he was her hero. Her prince. He was also the man she loved more than anyone else in her life. He would never lie to her. Never.

The growing lump in her throat was almost choking her, and she was going to see who this liar was and set him or her straight. She wasn't going to allow this person to spread these untruths about her man anymore.

Unnoticed, she ducked out of their room and headed down to the lobby.

* * *

Seated at a grouping of chairs not too far from the front desk was where she found him. Her little fists clenched with instant anger. She should have known...

"_Wade_."

"AJ, I wasn't so sure you'd show up." He rose from his seat and took her hand in his, raising it to his lips and leaving a small kiss. "I'm going to take that you're being here means you don't quite have confidence that your man is being entirely truthful."

She snatched her hand away, glowering at him now. "I didn't come here because I don't believe in Phil... I came here to tell you to stop spreading this stupid rumors!"

He raised a curious brow at her, his lip curling into a dry, unimpressed grin. "My dear girl...I assure you this has nothing to do with rumors and everything to do with fact. You see, I was at head office yesterday, when Phil had his meeting with McMahon."

She swallowed hard. No one else knew about that meeting. Wade could easily see by the shocked look on her face that he'd struck a chord.

"April, I was there when he told Vince, point blank, he wasn't returning after Money in the Bank. That would be his last appearance with the WWE."

April's first instinct was to laugh. She couldn't help it. Rolling her eyes at him she shook her head. "Nice try, but I think this has more to do with you being tossed to Smackdown and Phil taking over your role on Raw." She snickered at him. "Is the Corre not to your liking, Barrett? Look, I know you wanted to get between Phil and I before... believe me, you have no chance this time, either."

His wise ass smirk disappeared at the thought of being demoted, in his opinion, in favour of Punk. Wade bent at the waist, coming face to face with the little pocket rocket. She wasn't getting the better of him. In an acidic tone, he snarled at her. His dark eyes roved over her body as if she were a rotten piece of meat. "Not that I wouldn't love a go... but sweetheart, now that Punk's touched you, you're tarnished goods."

Her eyes narrowed with contempt at the filthy insult, she couldn't let him get the better of her. She couldn't let him win. "He's ten times the man you'll ever hope to be, Wade. This is just jealousy... crying over spilled milk, in your case." She stood up to him as best as she could, her hands planted firmly at her hips she was openly defiant, just like he'd taught her to be.

Wade straightened up and chuckled. "Continue to keep telling yourself he's not lying to you, sweetheart, if it helps you sleep at night. I was there, I heard it. That's all I need. Pretty soon you'll be cast aside as well. Just like the rest of his girls."

She watched him walk towards the elevators, and slumped down into one of the chairs, her mind now racing with thoughts she never imagined she would have about Phil. Was it even possible that he would tell her one thing and do the complete opposite? Would he really abandon her like that? Even if that was true... _why_? It made no sense as to why he would keep something this important from her and mislead her so willingly.

"Hey, April, are you all right?"

Her moist, conflicted eyes lifted, and when she saw him, the tears started to fall. He was beside her before she could answer, and folded her into his arms, uncertain as to what was going on.

"Hey, hey, what's all this about?" He asked her, and placing his two fingers under her chin, lifted her eyes to his striking, sky blue gaze.

"Wade... he told me... he said Phil's really leaving! Can you believe the nerve of that man?"

His heart sank just a little for her. "AJ, listen, don't pay attention to that guy, he's an asshole." Holy fuck, he thought, did Phil purposely let her think he was going to re-sign? Everyone knew that was next to not happening.

"I know he is. He's just pissed about being replaced. Phil would never lie to me like that." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

Should he lie to her as well about what he knew? Sure, he'd over heard two or three of Punk's angry phone conversations to who he could only assume was Vince, stating in no uncertain terms that he was not re-signing. His thoughts then wandered as he held her there like that... he still really liked this woman. He liked how good it felt to hold her like this, to inhale the sugary scent of her long, wavy hair. She was soft, warm, and she was in his arms right now when she should have been in her boyfriend's. Let the chips fall where they may, he wasn't about to start lying to her. Not if he stood a chance at having her at the end of this impending train wreck.

"Listen, April... I don't want to make waves here, but you have to think about this. Phil's not behaving normally these days, okay? He acts different to everyone backstage, and in the ring. It's like he's not even present anymore. April," he placed his hands on her shoulders, his steely blue eyes imploring her to listen carefully to what he was telling her, "I've heard him myself. Now, you don't have to believe anything I'm telling you for god sake... but for your own peace of mind, go to him. Ask him yourself, and _be _serious! Make him tell you the truth." He licked at his dry lips, his face awash with despair for her, he knew the truth, and he knew it was going to hurt her. "You, you deserve the truth."

"_Nick_..."

April could feel a little part of of world start to cave in. Even he knew something was up, and while he didn't want to come right out at say it, he at least had the decency to point her in the right direction, straight back to Phillip. Why shouldn't she believe him, he had been nothing but good to her, never lied to her, not once did he jerk her feelings around like Phil had done. God damn it, he _promised_ her this was all just a stupid game he was playing with Vince. Had the joke been on her all along? She wiped away the moisture from her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to regain a little bit of her lost composure. "You're right, I really should be asking him."

* * *

**Now I hand this off to White Firebird again. Thank you for your comments and for reading!**


	23. departure

**Hey everyone...White Firebird here with the newest chapter. Well, we've finally gotten here, to what we've been building up toward. Money In The Bank. I spent a lot of time making sure this chapter was as perfect as I could possibly make it, and hopefully it shows in what I have written. I didn't think we'd get this far, to be honest, when we started the story a few months ago, but I'm so happy we have, and me and Foxy cannot thank you all enough for sticking with this and enjoying it as much as you do. It's only going to get better from here on out. And just so there's no confusion, the italics are quotes from Punk that he made in all of the promo's he did leading up to this match, and the song used at the end is 'Night Train' by the Bouncing Souls. It's even more significant because Punk used that song as his entrance theme for his last ever ROH match, and it just felt appropriate, given the content of this chapter.**

**And now, with all of that said...sit back and enjoy the ride!**

* * *

7 - 17 - 11

_"Do I have everybody's attention now?"_

The sound of his own voice caused his eyes to snap open. Turning onto his side, he looked at the time on his alarm clock and inwardly groaned; it was eight in the morning. Today was the biggest day of his life, yet he couldn't sleep worth a damn. Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, he turned back over, only to see April's doe brown orbs staring right back at him. He wanted to look away, wanted to avoid any and all contact with her today, but he knew that it was next to impossible. For the last three and a half months, ever since the week after WrestleMania, she had been asking him on a near daily basis about whether he was leaving after tonight. And he **lied.** He lied through his damn teeth to her every damn day, and with each lie, he would feel his heart and soul crack a little bit more. She actually stopped asking for a little while, until that fateful night. June 27th, 2011.

_"And I'd like to think, that maybe this company will be better after Vince McMahon's dead, but the fact is, it's going to get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his doofus son-in-law, and the rest of his stupid family!"_

They had never given him a live mic before in his entire six year tenure with the company, but that night, the powers that be told him to just let it rip, and boy, did he ever. He poured every amount of pent up frustration into that speech, put his true feelings out there and wore his heart on his sleeve. He was suspended the second he stepped through the curtain after Raw went off the air that night, and that was when April kicked the questioning over his contract status way up, during that week he was suspended. So he kept lying. He felt like the dirtiest, most rotten piece of shit in the entire world for lying to her so callously like he was...but she couldn't know the real reason for him leaving. Oh sure, he was certainly fed up with the bullshit the company had been serving him, he was tired. He just _was. _He wanted out from under Vince's umbrella in the worst way, and today, he was getting his wish. All of the shit, the politics, the backstabbing...it certainly served as a wonderful cover for masking his real, true reasoning for exiting stage left. She couldn't know. Not until he was ready to tell her. Whenever the hell that was. If ever.

"Phil..."

"Good morning, sleeping beauty."

A small smile crept across her soft, pink lips. He had given her that nickname one night when he caught her sleeping on his couch and just watched her. She looked so peaceful, beautiful, angelic, a geeked out, nerdy goddess in her own right. He sighed to himself as he thought about it. He sure was going to miss those moments...her smile disappeared, turning somewhat serious as she held his gaze with her own, like she was searching the inner depths of his soul for what she was seeking. He felt helpless when she was looking at him like this. A part of him wanted to buckle and fess up right there. But his resolve steeled. His hand wasn't going to be revealed for some time. He just hoped she would understand...some day.

"Today's the day, isn't it."

He nodded his head in response. "Yeah, it would seem so."

"I know I sound like a broken record, and I've probably gotten on your last nerve with this, but...I just need to hear your answer again. You're not leaving after tonight, are you?"

It wasn't so much a question as it was her pleading with him to tell her the truth, to put her at ease, to keep her sane. She had asked him that same question a thousand and one times over the last few months, but it didn't really strike a chord with him until now, the day of Money In The Bank, the day his contract came to an end...his heart broke into a million pieces for her. Reaching with his large arms, he pulled her into his chest and nuzzled her there, pressed against his body, smoothing out her hair...holding onto her for dear life. It was going to be one of the last times he'd be able to do this. He wanted to savor it, remember it, and try to ignore the fact that he was going to sully it with yet another lie.

"No. I'm not."

* * *

5 - 1 - 11 - Extreme Rules

He knocked on the door before realizing it was slightly ajar, poking his head into the room to look around. He saw a few of the make up and wardrobe girls saying their good byes as he slipped into the room and moved aside to let them leave. Turning his attention to the gal he wanted to talk to, he smiled at her. "Got a few minutes for a big jerk like me?"

Michelle smiled back at him, patting the seat of the chair next to her as she sat back down in her own, removing her knee pads and leaning back, taking and exhaling a deep breath. "Yeah, I think I've got a few minutes to spare before I'm out the door for the last time", she said in her southern lilt, wincing as she removed one of her elbow pads gingerly, revealing a nice bruise. "Boy, I'm not gonna miss waking up with a new one of these every morning."

He chuckled, running his hand through his hair, grimacing as he shifted around a bit uncomfortably in his seat, the effects of his last man standing match with Randy having fully settled in. "For that, I envy you", he said half seriously with a grin on his lips as he leaned forward, his elbows propped up on his knees, hands intertwined with each other. Biting down on his lip ring, he asked the burning question that had been on his mind ever since yesterday when he found out it was her last day. "So...how does it feel?"

Seeming a bit startled by the question posed to her, Michelle raised an eyebrow as she took her other elbow pad off and tilted her head to the side, wondering just what he could be talking about. "How does what feel, Phil?", she asked back, rolling her neck and releasing a sigh of utter relief upon hearing it crack.

"How does it feel...you know...how's it feel knowing that you're free? That you don't have to wake up in a different bed every day, that you can go home and finally start a family? That you can have all of the things that normal people have, not sideshow circus acts like ourselves."

Needless to say, she was taken back by the bluntness of what she was just asked, but then again, Phil wasn't one for subtly or beating around the bush when it came to matters like these. She didn't know how to answer that question, though. She hadn't really thought about it much the past week, truth be told. She was so wrapped up in saying goodbye to everyone, getting those last thrills of going out through the curtain, and doing what she loved for the last few times, that she hadn't really focussed on what her life would be like when it was all over. Looking at the time on her phone, reality began to sink in. Come tomorrow morning, she'd be waking up in her own bed...what a feeling that would be.

"I don't know if I would personally use the word free myself, but...I'll be honest, I don't know how it feels right now. It's just starting to become real. I didn't really think about it this past week...there were just too many memories I've been trying to hold onto and too many friends to say goodbye to. I've been on the road almost nonstop for seven years...", she paused to take a breath and blink away the moist feeling in her eyes. "This will always be part of my life, whether I'm on the road or not."

Phil silently nodded his head in understanding. In a little over two months time, he would be staring his exit door straight in the face. He had been offered one contract extension after another, but he kept turning them down...he had no intention of staying with the company past Money In The Bank, hence why he was here right now. He wanted to see his friend off, and to get her take on having her freedom back. He had been wanting his own slice of it for a year now. He could almost taste it... "It's not gonna be the same without you here."

She smiled at the kind comment he directed her way. She then decided to change the subject. "I know you're here to say goodbye and wish me well, Phil, but why are you really here?", she asked. She had a feeling she knew why, she just wanted to hear him confirm it for her.

He sighed and lowered his head, giving it a shake before looking back up into Michelle's clairvoyant eyes. He might as well just take the cat out of the bag and let it loose, right? "I'm gonna venture a guess and say that you've heard all the stories and rumors about me and my situation", he said, watching her nod her head. "The reason why I'm here and why I asked that question is because...I don't know what to do. April thinks I'm going to re-sign eventually and-"

Michelle put her hand up to stop him before he could go any further, an incredulous look on her face. "What do you mean, she _'thinks'_ you're going to re-sign eventually?", she asked. When he didn't immediately respond, it dawned on her. "You haven't told her that you're leaving?"

Looking down at the ground, then back up at the ceiling, he sighed. "No, I haven't", he said in a tone that was barely above a whisper. "I need to re-evaluate my life, and I can't have her throwing her career away because of me. She's still so young and has so many good years in her...I don't want what's eating away at me to get her down when she's destined to be one of the better Divas on the roster..."

"That still doesn't change the fact that you've been lying to her this entire time!", Michelle scolded him. "How could you do such a thing? You are the entire world to that girl, and then some. Have you even stopped to see how you've been acting these last few weeks has been affecting her? I haven't seen someone worry more about someone else than-"

"All right, you've made your point", he said irritably, dragging his hands over his face in frustration. "The next time Vince and his empty suits offer me another extension, I'll turn it down and then I'll talk to her about it. There, happy now?"

Rolling her eyes and leaning forward so that she was closer to him, Michelle sighed and searched for the words to tell him about how stupid he was being right now. "Phil...you have to tell her. Like now. Not _right_ now, but within the next few days. Just sit her down and be open and honest with her. One of the reasons she loves you is because of your brutal honesty, right?", she asked as he nodded his head in response. "Then be honest with her."

He avoided eye contact. He didn't know how he would break such news to April without her either having an emotional and nervous breakdown or killing him with those legalized weapons she called her tiny little hands. Everything, at least in his mind, was grand between the two of them, so long as she wasn't badgering him about his contract status...why would he want to ruin that? She meant the world to him, and he didn't want to be the cause of pain and suffering for her...

Michelle's words rang out once more. "Just...you're a real good friend of mine, Phil, and I love April to bits, she's like a sister to me...and I know that you're itching to get out of here and see what life has for you out there, in the normal world...but do you really think you could live with yourself if you upped and left without saying anything to her?"

He couldn't. But that didn't make breaking such news to her any easier.

* * *

7 - 16 - 11

_"Vince, I'll kick you in the nuts, and you'll smile at me and like it, and show me some **RESPECT.**"_

"So tomorrow's the big day, huh?"

Phil nodded in response as he flopped down onto his couch, Colt and Luke doing the same on the couch opposite him. Flicking on the television, the first thing he saw was a local news bit about Money In The Bank, the newscaster interviewing various fans who, not surprisingly, were all decked out in t-shirts of his, old and new. His two guests got some laughs out of watching the fans mark out and go crazy for the hometown hero. Him? Not so much.

"CM Punk is the best in the world and he's going to wipe the floor with that loser John Cena!"

"I hope Punk muay thai kicks Cena so hard that he explodes into a million Fruity Pebble bits."

"Vince McMahon and John Cena can suck it! CM PUNK ALL THE WAY!"

**"MARRY ME, PUNK! PLEASE!"**

He changed the channel after that last one, trying to ignore Colt's uproarious laughter along the way. Naturally though, as he changed the channel, he came across another local news station, this time airing an interview that he had done earlier in the week, that focussed on his contract situation.

"So, Mr. Punk...can I call you that? Anyway, as you've stated numerous times over the past few weeks, your contract with the WWE comes to an end after the pay per view here in Chicago this coming Sunday. Is this you pulling the wool over our eyes or are you really leaving?"

Phil watched himself on the television, shifting around a bit uncomfortably in his seat before looking the man straight in the eye, that trademark smirk of his playing on his lips. He then mouthed the words he spoke that day to himself. "Watch the show and find out for yourself."

"How are you feeling man?"

He glanced over at Luke, who was eyeing him intently, looking for a tell in his mannerisms that gave away his true feelings on this Saturday afternoon, the eve of his last night in the WWE. At least, that's what he thought. He heard from Colt that Vince had offered him the mother of all deals on Thursday, and that Phil had been looking it over since. In fact, he was pretty sure that's why he was here, along with Colt; to give Phil a distraction, however necessary or unnecessary it was, from having to think about the new offer given to him.

"Same as always, you know, same shit, different day. Nothing to complain about."

"How come April's not here with us? I haven't seen that little spitfire in a while, I wanted to see how she was doing."

"She's out with Chaleen and Chez, they're at the mall doing girl things. Stuff I wouldn't be interested in."

The bald, straight edged colossus nodded his head, formulating the words in his head on how he was going to attack the obviously touchy subject that was tomorrow night. He looked to Colt, but he was in his own world, watching the television after having jacked the remote from Phil, so it looked like it was just him and his former stable mate. After racking his brain for something, he thought back to this past Monday night...the live contract talks in the middle of the ring...and something that Phil said gave him what he needed to say to him right now.

_"I have had friends...very talented friends work for this company, and be unceremoniously fired-"_

_**"THEY DESERVED IT!"**_

_"They deserved it? They deserved it? Why? Because you don't know what makes a superstar in 2011? You don't know what these people want!? You wanna punish people for actually liking professional wrestling? Guys like Colt Cabana, guys like Luke Gallows, huh? You will apologize **TO ME, FOR THEM**, because **THEY** can't be here right now, and they can't stand up to you, and they can't let their voice be heard! I am CM Punk, and I am the **VOICE OF THE VOICELESS**, and you will apologize, and **YOU. WILL. LIKE IT."**_

"That was some pretty heavy stuff you said to Vince on Monday."

Phil glanced over at his friend, his eyes quickly drifting back to the television, but Luke could see the tiny smirk tugging at his lips. He knew that the best way to get Phil to talk about something he didn't want to talk about was to butter him up and stroke his ego a bit. Once that happened, he wouldn't shut up. "I mean, I'm flattered that you mentioned me, man. I'm sure Colt was too. I also especially loved when you listed off all the perks you wanted in your new contract. Had me dying of laughter, man."

"I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted my face on everything", Phil said softly, that smirk now full blown on his lips. He shifted around in his seat to face him, running a hand through his hair, letting wisps of it fall over his eyes. "I'm not signing the deal they gave me", he suddenly blurted out, causing Luke to nod his head and Colt to finally pay attention to the conversation at hand.

"Figured as much", Luke murmured to himself while Colt raised an eyebrow at Phil's statement. "What are the plans for the match then? Have they told you anything? What does Cena think of all this?"

"I don't know, nope, and I don't give a shit what the golden boy thinks", Phil responded in rapid fire succession, rolling his eyes at the mere mention of Cena's name, in his own home no less. "For all I know, this could turn out to be Montreal 2.0, except it'll be the Chicago Screwjob and I'll be a bigger martyr than Bret was...I honestly don't care what happens. I'm just going in there tomorrow night and proving to everyone why I'm the best in the world."

Luke remained silent, letting Phil's words soak into his brain, while Colt looked like he had something of his own to say. Naturally, it was going to be about something that was bound to piss his best friend off. "What does April think about all of this?"

The question hung there, in mid-air, hovering above all their heads like some kind of noxious gas, waiting to strike. Phil's eye began to twitch, while Luke silently excused himself and walked off to the kitchen, not wanting to be a part of the eventual shit show that would happen any moment now. Colt watched as Phil slowly tilted his head to the side to face him, his face a dark, scarlet shade, looking like he was ready to explode. "You still haven't answered my question, bro."

"That's because I have no answer to give you", Phil said as evenly as he could, biting down on his lip ring to nip any outburst he had waiting in the bud. "She doesn't think anything of it because she thinks I'm staying with the company past tomorrow night. That's all there is to it."

Phil closed his eyes and let loose a ragged sigh. He didn't need to look at Colt to know that a response, most likely a vulgar and demeaning one, was coming in three...two...one...

"Are you fucking **crazy!?**"

Zero. Like clockwork.

"The fuck do you mean by that, man? Are you seriously going to sit there and tell me that you haven't told her that you haven't re-signed yet, that you don't plan on doing so, and that after tomorrow night you're going to disappear into the night and cut her out of your life like some sleazy, douchey one night stand?! What the **fuck** has gotten into you? You've gotta be ribbing me. You just_ have_ to be. There's no way you'd pull such a disgusting, horrible stunt on that innocent girl."

When Phil didn't rebuke any of his comments or even attempt to put up a fight, Colt's eyes widened with shock and mostly disgust. He was furious with his best friend, he couldn't ever remember being so pissed at him like this before. This was just unbelievable. How could he do something so cold and heartless like this to such a vibrant, lovely and wonderful girl like April? One he loved more than any other girl he had dated in the past. One he had known since he was seventeen years old. One that he said that he could see himself settling down with once their careers were over...and he was just going to shatter her hopes and dreams without so much as a second glance or any consideration for her feelings?

All of these thoughts raced through Colt's mind as he watched Phil sit there, remaining silent, his lips pursed together in a straight line, his eyes looking ahead into nothingness. He wanted to strangle every bit of life out of Phil right now, but killing his best friend wouldn't do anyone any favors at the moment. He refused to accept the fact that his best friend would do something like this. He didn't want to let the realization set in and dawn on him. A couple more minutes passed by...still nothing. "You really are going to do that to her, aren't you?"

Still, Phil didn't answer him. He kept his eyes staring straight ahead, at a picture of the two of them. They were on top of the Sears Tower, overlooking all of Chicago, and they were just so happy in the picture, with him pretending to scowl while April's face was buried in his neck, flashing that smile of hers that made him melt on the inside. He shook his head and looked over at Colt, who for all the world looked like he wanted to rip him to shreds. But he didn't know why he was leaving. None of them did.

"Look", he began as he shifted his body and was facing his best friend. "I can't tell you why, exactly, not now at least...maybe one day, a while from now, when this all blows over...but you're going to have to trust me on this. I _need_ you to trust me here. There's a really, _really_ good reason for me to not tell her, and eventually, she'll see that too, and everything will be better off because of it. But she can't know right now. I need her to be in the dark...I know I'm going to be causing her unimaginable pain, but I'll remedy it eventually. Me leaving...it needs to happen in order for everything to be where it needs to be...where _she_ wants it to be."

"What do you mean?"

Phil squirmed around a bit on his couch, the words not coming as easily as he thought they would. Looking Colt directly in the eye and sighing heavily, he let them loose.

"I'm leaving because of her."

* * *

7 - 17 - 11

6:32 PM

_"Goodbye to me and you._

_Goodbye to the life we knew._

_One last long embrace._

_Let go and walk on through."_

"Phil?"

Opening his eyes and looking over his shoulder, he saw April standing in the doorway to his locker room. A tiny grin spread across his lips as he motioned for her to come over and join him, and so she did. The couple remained silent for a few moments while he went back to meditating and she sat there, awkwardly playing with her hands, unsure of what to say to him at a time like this. She knew how seriously he took moments, matches, atmospheres like this, and the last thing she wanted to do was disrupt his routine and upset him. When he re-opened his eyes and looked to her, smiling, his lip ring glistening in the light, she took it as a sign that he was ready to talk.

"How goes it, small fry?"

He hadn't called her that since she was nine...she figured something must be up in that mind of his if he was digging that old pet name out of it's mothball covered box. His whole demeanor had changed from the morning, where he was distant and detached, evasive and mostly silent. Thankfully he wasn't in a crabby mood, but she did notice that he seemed to be...morose, almost. Like he was in mourning. She didn't dare press him about it, mutely wishing that he would open up and come to her about it, and talk...he rarely did that anymore. She knew that by keeping everything bottled up inside, it was killing him on the inside, but that's just how he was...

"The last time you called me that, I barely came up to your hip. What's going on? You practically only said ten words to me this morning, now you're jovial and grinning that shit-eating grin of yours."

He reached over and ruffled her hair, eliciting a small giggle out of her, but she quashed it rather quickly and tried to give him her best stern look, which in turn only caused him to chuckle as he looked at her. There was seriously something going on, and it was starting to freak her out...why was he acting like this? "Phil, seriously...you're acting weird, like you're hiding something from me..."

"There's nothing to hide, sweetheart. It's Money In The Bank! I'm home! Have you even seen the crowd out there? It's gonna be a fucking mob scene! Cena's gonna get booed right the fuck out of the building and I can't wait..."

"Phil...now you're starting to scare me. You're getting that crazed look in your eyes."

Sighing and giving his head a quick shake, he grabbed his girlfriend's hand and held it in his own taped ones. He stared right into her chocolate pools and decided to get lost in them one last time before everything went to hell. She was so damn beautiful...the most beautiful girl he had ever dated. There was still such an innocence to her that none of the other girls had...so young, so vibrant, so full of life...always smiling, always laughing...so naive...he just hoped that she would appreciate what he was going to do later tonight some day, and look back at it not as a bad moment in time, but a moment that showed her just how deep and how far love ran and went. He would always love her. He had a funny way of showing it, sure...but his feelings remained the same nonetheless.

They didn't say anything for a few moments, opting to remain reticent and just stare. She loved how he looked right now...she couldn't remember the last time he had looked so clean shaven, and she was so glad he had ditched the mustache, it made him look like a porn star from the late seventies. And the way he slicked his hair back with gel...his lip ring glowing in the lights of the room...she just had to kiss him. And she did, quite passionately, to which he happily obliged her in. It was a dance they had done numerous times before, without any effort. It felt natural. Eventually, they broke apart and sucked in air, and a smile was on his lips as he spoke to her again.

"I love you, April."

She felt her heart soar with those spoken words. She always felt like that when he said that. It made her feel like the most important, most special girl in the entire world. Little did she know...

"I love you too, Phillip."

Little did she know...

* * *

7 - 17 - 11

7:19 PM

_"I'm leaving everything behind for a peace that I can't find._

_The ghosts that roam this house,_

_like winter air right through our souls._

_And it feels like dying._

_It just feels like time to go._"

"What's up, man? You wanted to speak to us?", Kofi asked as he walked into the room, Eve following closely behind him. Phil waited until they were fully inside before moving to close and lock the door behind them all. Running his hand over his face and letting loose a deep, exaggerated, almost desperate breath, he decided that there wasn't going to be any beating around the bush with his two closest friends within the company. He had done plenty of that with Colt yesterday, and yet despite the fact that he said he wasn't going to question his motives for leaving, Colt bugged and pestered him all day about how dumb he was acting and how big of a mistake this was. He wasn't in the mood to deal with it right now.

"I'm just gonna come right out and say it, so we can skip the drama and the bullshit...tonight's my last night in the company. Vince came to me a few hours ago to try and talk...and I told him to get out. And I'm sure that before my match, he'll try and get me to sign something, anything that will keep me from walking out of here with his precious title...but I won't. I'm leaving, I'm taking the title...and April doesn't know anything about it. I've been lying to her the entire time...so whatever you've heard about me leaving after tonight...it's true. And whatever April's told you about how I would never do such a thing...I am."

Awkward silence engulfed the room while Kofi and Eve took the sudden, blunt news in, letting it swim around in their brains. It wasn't until about five minutes later that it dawned on Eve, and at that point, she brushed her way past Kofi to stand right in front of Phil, hate for him in her eyes as she glared up at him...and smacked the ever loving shit out of him. Kofi's eyes widened and he cringed at the sound her open palm made across his cheek, but there was no rage in Phil's eyes when his head snapped back to look at her. It was more along the lines of understanding. He had deserved it, and he knew it.

"You bastard!", Eve cried, readying herself to get slap happy with Phil's face again. "You god damn bastard! I can't believe you! How could you do such a thing to her!?"

She went to slap him again but Kofi grabbed her arm and prevented it from happening. Whispering something in her ear, he moved her aside so that he could take his turn staring down Phil. In an instant, Phil felt himself being hurtled across the room, his back slamming up against the wall as road wife was in his grill, being strangled with the collar of his shirt. He could damn near see steam coming out of Kofi's ears as he breathed heavily and glared menacingly, thoughts of decapitating him running through his mind.

"Now I know you both want to kill me, and I deserve all of your hatred and scorn and death threats...but you're going to have to save it for a different time. Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to gather the whole lot of you who know the truth and have you all become a firing squad and give me what's coming to me...but I called you both here because I need a favor from you."

"And why would I want to do _you_ any favors?", Kofi growled out, anger coursing through his veins as he continued to hold Phil against the wall. "What's stopping me from kicking your ass all over your hometown right now, huh? You've got a lot of nerve..."

"What kind of favor, _Brooks_", Eve spat out, disdain dripping from every syllable. He winced at the tone of her voice, especially with how she said his last name. Just a few days ago, he was joking with the two of them, sharing war stories and memories without so much as a care in the world...my how the times were a'changin'. "I swear to God, this better be the best fucking favor ever asked, because if it's something weak..."

"I need you two to watch over April for me while I'm away."

Suddenly, that same silence that permeated the air a few minutes before threatened to do the same again the moment the words left his lips. Gone was the hatred, animosity and resentment from Kofi and Eve's faces, with Kofi letting go of his shirt and taking a couple of steps back to give the number one contender to the WWE Championship some breathing room. He waited for either one of them to say something, anything, so that he could explain why he needed such a thing done. Finally, Eve looked up from the floor at him and broke the ice.

"What do you mean, you need us to watch over her while you're away. You want us to act like guardian angels or something?"

"Yeah, I'm in the same boat as Eve here...what the hell are you talking about?"

Phil sighed. He knew they'd ask questions... "April...she trusts the two of you. Next to me, who else would she go to to talk about something?"

"Well, there's her best friend..."

"And the reason why Kaitlyn isn't here right now is because of that very fact. I brought you two here because I know that you won't go running straight to April to tell her everything...I can't have that happening. This whole thing is going to be bad enough as it is in a few hours..."

"So what's the point, Phil?", Eve asked impatiently.

"The point is that when I'm gone, she's going to be living the worst week ever for however long I'm away...and she'll be vulnerable, afraid, and prone to rash decision making...she's still so young and naive...there are predators in this locker room, you both know it, male or female...with me gone, they'll prey on her and try to influence her...one man stands out in particular..."

"And you want the two of us to make sure that she's okay", Kofi stated more than asked, running a hand through his dreadlocked hair and releasing a sigh. "Look out for her best interests and keep an eye on her, basically."

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. She loves and trusts the two of you as if you were brother and sister to her. She'll listen to you. She'll talk to you, confide in you. She'll want to be around you. She'll do everything you ask her to do, because I know her like the back of my hand, and April hates disappointing people...she won't want to do that to you two. So, I say it again...I need you two to watch over April while I'm away."

Kofi and Eve exchanged looks that ranged from pessimistic to guarded to suspicious. Phil just hoped that they could put aside their collective anger towards him for the betterment of April's well being. He was hoping that they cared about April as much as he thought that they did. Thankfully, his faith in the two of them was validated when they stepped forward, nodding their heads in silent agreement.

"I'll do this...but don't think that this is in any way a favor for you. I'm doing this because I care about April and I want to make sure that she ends up fine in the end", Kofi said as he bumped shoulders with him and exited the room, leaving him alone with Eve.

"April is like a little sister to me. I will kill to protect her and shield her from bullshit like this as best as I can. I'm doing this for you because I know that deep down, the guilt you'll be living with over this will consume you until you find a way to make it better. And you **will** make it better. I'm doing this for April too, because I love that girl and want her to be happy. And I will do my absolute **best** to make sure that she remains that way."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Phil."

Left alone, Phil looked up to the ceiling, then back to April's belongings that were tucked away neatly in the corner, next to his. He then looked to the clock on the wall, and saw that the pay per view was going to begin in less than five minutes. This was it. There was no going back now. He was going through with it. It was go time.

"Please April...I hope that one day you'll forgive me for what I am about to do to you. I love you, and I always will. I can only pray that you don't let this kill your spirit and break your heart to the point where it's unfixable. I hope you become a better person and a stronger woman because of my actions. And that one day...we'll be together again. I love you."

His silent prayer now finished, he closed the door to his locker room behind him and began to prepare. It was time...for Money In The Bank.

* * *

7 - 17 - 11

10:00 PM

_"Goin' down south to dream another dream._

_Maybe check out Memphis, Tennessee._

_Take the night train and an extra pair of jeans._

_Can't think of anything else I really need._

_And all my experiences ride with me."_

April could feel the entire arena shaking with anticipation for the conquering, hometown hero to make his entrance. She had never seen a crowd so rabid and amped up than she was seeing right now here in Chicago...Phil wasn't kidding when he said that Chicago had the best wrestling fans around; they were more than proving it right now. That's how she felt at the moment, like one of the fans in attendance, sitting on pins and needles, waiting for the main event to start. She had never seen a match with such high stakes before, but she knew that regardless of the outcome, her man would be coming back to her at the end of the night and they could put the whole contract mess behind them. At least, that's what she thought. The looks that everyone gave her as she walked through the halls looked like a different story...

Her thoughts were jarred when the wailing and heavy opening riff of This Fire Burns rang through the arena and...the pop it got was unreal. It was the loudest pop she had ever heard anyone get. She could tell that Phil hadn't heard anything like it too, because she could see it in his face and in the way he mouthed the word _'Wow'_ to himself as he walked out into the aisle and dropped to one knee, checking the time on his imaginary watch. She loved it when he did this. She would always mimic him when he did it. What time was it?

**"IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!"**

More insane cheers from the Chicago faithful. Cole was calling it a 'partisan crowd', and King was saying that this was akin to the Chicago Bears being in the Super Bowl, and the Super Bowl was being held in Chicago. All April could do was grin and shake her head at the sheer craziness of it all. She smiled when the camera panned to the crowd, revealing Colt, Phil's sisters, his mom, and Ace Steel, the man that trained him way back when. He was milking every last cheer out of the crowd right now, and she couldn't blame him. This was his time. His moment.

"Will this be Punk's ultimate moment? To disgrace the WWE, and leave with it the fifty year legacy known as the WWE Championship", Cole said on commentary, his words haunting to everyone but her. She knew he wasn't leaving. He had told her as much over and over. She didn't care what others thought. Phil's word was his bond, and April took his word at face value, always. She had no reason to think otherwise...

John's music hit and the boos were so damn deafening, she couldn't hear herself think. To his credit though, he marched straight down the aisle and into the ring, holding the title up high for everyone to see, which only seemed to piss everyone off even more. After a few more minutes of posturing between the two of them, the formal introductions were made and it was game time.

April sat there, nervously watching the match with wide eyes, taking every few minutes to bite down on her lip anxiously or chew on her fingernails without even realizing what she was doing. Just when it seemed John had the upper hand, Phil battled back and seized the momentum for himself. She had never seen someone look so much like John's equal in there...and it made her feel so proud to know that it was Phil who was that man. It also helped that the entire crowd was ready to become a lynch mob if he lost, that's how much they had invested in him.

Her heart was in her throat when Phil kicked out of the first Attitude Adjustment. She was so sure that it was over at that moment. After some more back and forth, John hit another AA...and Phil kicked out again, causing her to cheer her lungs out when he did. She was pretty sure that everyone backstage heard her, but she didn't care. She was wrapped up in the drama of it all...tonight, she wasn't an employee of the WWE...she was a fan.

She leapt out of her seat when Phil connected with the GTS, but screamed when John rolled out of the ring. But this was when things got weird...for the match and for herself. She watched as Mr. McMahon and Mr. Laurinaitis made their way out into the aisle, the venom Vince's eyes clear as day as he glared at Phil, who gave the chairman and his _'glad handing, nonsensical, douchebag yes-man'_ his own equally venomous look. And just as suddenly as the two corporate figures joined the fray, April was joined by Kofi and Eve, presumably so that they could watch the end of the match with her and celebrate once Phil returned backstage.

But something was up. She could tell the minute she saw her two friend's faces...they looked like they felt sorry for her. She felt Kofi's hand grasp her shoulder as he sat down, and Eve did the same on the other side, all of their focus now turned to Phil writhing around in pain, having been locked in the STF by John. They saw Vince try to signal for the bell, an obvious, if unwelcome, homage to the Montreal Screwjob, but in a surprising act, John slid out of the ring and decked Laurinaitis as he tried to ring the bell. As he told Vince that he didn't want to end the match like this, Eve leaned in and whispered into her ear. She then looked to Kofi, who sadly nodded his head. April could feel the tears instantly begin to well up.

_"This town is dead to me._

_And I can't stop chasing my dreams._

_I love you more than anything,_

_but what you want, I could never be._

_I love you more than anything,_

_but only alone can we both be free."_

She remembered something Phil had said on Monday night as he tore up the contract he was offered by Vince in the ring. Something that was going to live with her for quite some time now...

_"Sunday night...say goodbye to the WWE Title. Say goodbye to John Cena. And say goodbye...to CM Punk."_

They watched in silence as John rolled back into the ring, only to be hoisted onto Phil's shoulders and subsequently knocked out cold with a thunderous GTS. One...two...three...the entire place exploded as Phil crawled to the middle of the ring and began to celebrate. The referee handed him the title and he sat there, mugging for the camera, the WWE Title now his and only his. Everything started to become blurry from the tears that were streaming from her eyes.

She watched Vince call Alberto down with his Money In The Bank briefcase.

She watched Phil kick him in the head, smiling like the damn Cheshire Cat at Vince.

She watched him grab the title and make his way to the guardrail.

She watched him blow a kiss at Vince before leaving through his hometown crowd.

She watched him hold the WWE Title up high, the fans roaring their approval.

She watched Vince look on, helpless to stop him and without his crown jewel.

And finally...

She watched Phil walk out of her life.

_"Goodbye to me and you._

_Goodbye to the life we knew._

_Wipe the tears from your eyes._

_Let go and walk on through."_

* * *

**And that's that. I hope you all enjoyed. =)**


	24. will you still love me tomorrow?

**Red Fox here... I hope you're still enjoying the story. :) Here's my addition. Happy reading. There MAY or may NOT be scenes of a sexual nature. LOL. Tissue alert... maybe. But only if you are a sensitive person. :P**

* * *

**Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?**

Four days before Money In The Bank...

He let himself free fall to the couch, landing with a pouf, forcing all the excess air inside the cushions to let go. He was fully intent on trying to catch a a little shut eye before heading out to Colt's to watch the fights, squirming around a little tyring to get comfortable. That was when he felt something hard wedged in between the back of the couch and the seat. Digging his hand down, he pulled out a small three ring, baby blue note book. It was covered in everything from big hippie-style daisies, to Hello Kitty stickers. It even had its fair share of juvenile graffiti scrawled all over it. His eye brows arched in surprise when he noticed a LOT of said graffiti featured his own name written inside hand drawn little hearts of various sizes, linked to April's name. This gave him the most satisfying, fucked up grin. April's precious journal...it _had_ to be. The binder holding the pages looked older than dirt itself, and he suspected she must have been writing in it for quiet some time.

He moved to place it on the coffee table and settle down for that cat nap. A few minutes passed... Damn it if part of him wanted to peek just a little bit. No, no... he wouldn't invade her privacy in such an inconsiderate manner. She trusted him. The least he could do would be to leave the book alone, he'd already done enough to betray her trust. Placing the journal on the table, he turned to his side to get that little bit of sleep he originally laid down for.

After about ten minutes of trying really hard to be good, his insanely curious nature started to get the better of him. Opening his eyes, the little book seemed to all but scream out his name as he lay there staring at it. His name _was_ plastered all over it. Reaching over, he took the frayed book up in his hands, examining the eclectic cover and once more getting a huge kick out of all the little hearts and doodles. She would never know... Just one little peek. That's all he wanted. Rolling onto his back he flipped it open to the fist page, reading the header.

This diary belongs to April Jeanette...

The writing looked like it had been done by a child, and when he turned the page, the first entry confirmed it.

_October, 17__th__, 1995_

_Today I got a new baby sitter... he's mean and has real bad hair. Then he was nice and let me stay up late and watch movies with him and eat lots of junk even tho mom said no. He also promised me a fun Halloween. – April_

_PS: his name is Punk. Dumb name._

Dumb name huh? He turned to the next page, and then the next. Almost every entry was all about him. By the time he got to December, she was planning their wedding!

Rain had started to fall in torrents outside suddenly, and he noticed the temperature start to drop a little. Pulling up one of the wool throws around himself to ward off the chill, he read more... Turns out, he'd been her Prince Charming, her soul mate, her _everything _even way back then. My god...

_January 10th, 1996_

_Phil took me to wrestling tonight. Mom doesn't know. It's our secret, just me and him. I told an ugly girl to get lost and leave __**my **__**man**__ alone. AND I kicked the shit out of a guy who hurt Phil. He was lucky I didn't kick him in the nuts. Colt said I was awesome – April_

He chuckled, he was _her_ man. Phil remembered that day well, and couldn't help the shit-eating grin plastered on his face. He was grinning so hard it almost hurt. Angie had been totally humiliated by a little girl! God, was April hilarious... she still was. The next few pages talked about them going to his wrestling gigs and how funny Colt was... to how much she actually knew about him. She was very detailed for a nine year old girl. Right down to how she imagined herself with him many years in the future. If he didn't know who wrote this stuff, he'd be getting a restraining order.

_March 19__th__ 1996_

_My birthday was sooooo great! Phil and Colt came and Colt gave me lots of Batman stuff and it was great! Then Phil wouldn't give me my present and said I had to wait. Then he made me cry, but he made it all better when he gave my my birthday present. A Harley Quinn necklace! It is sooooo beautiful, and I love it so much! I love him so much! I want to kiss him! – April_

That entry was surrounded with little pink hearts. He sighed, remembering how he almost turned down his first really big opportunity for her, only to find out she would be leaving him. That was the next entry.

_September 4__th__, 1997_

_I'm going to die. Mom told me today we are moving again. I am so sad. I don't know what to do. How will I live with out Phil? I can't, I will die. He's my everything, Diary. He protects me from the bullies. He takes away my tears, and he's my whole life. He always tells great jokes. Better ones than Colt. I want to die. He's my best friend in the world and I want to be with him always. I can't leave him, I love him. - April_

Phil felt exactly the same way she did when he discovered she was going to be moving again. The foundation of his world was about to be pulled out from underneath him at the thought of losing her. He never imagined she felt this strongly, and flipped ahead another page...

The next entry was a few years later, and this one... this one hit him hard. She wasn't more than twelve.

_November 15__th__, 1999_

_I'm sorry I haven't written in so long. I just couldn't. But I don't know what to do with my feelings anymore. So I guess I'll just write them down here. I still love Phil. It's been so long. Over a year since I had to move away. I miss falling asleep on him when we watched tv, and how good he smells after he wrestles. I miss making popcorn with him, walking home from the ice cream stand with him. I miss him. I can't sleep, and mom says she's worried about me because I don't eat enough. How can I? I can't stop thinking about him. I hear his voice and see his face when I close my eyes. I don't know how to do this. How do I forget about the person who always made me feel better when I was sad? He's my hero, my best friend. He is the bestest thing ever in my life, and he's gone. He showed me how to stand up for myself, he showed me how to be a better person. He taught me how to be brave. Why can't I be brave now? I love him. I miss him so much and want to die sometimes because it hurts more than anything else ever did. Mom says I'm too young to be worrying about boys. Especially ones as old as Phil. She doesn't know how I feel. She doesn't know I love him, or how much. I dream one day I'll see him again. I wonder, does he even remember me? Would he even know me if I was standing right in front of him? God I miss him and wish I could run away from here and find him. He's my soul mate. - April Brooks_

She had scratched out her own last name and replaced it with his, drawing more little hearts all over the place. He flipped through a few more entries. Most of them spaced out years apart now. All of them mentioning him in some way. He was astounded at how much she knew about him and how she had kept such good track of all _his_ career milestones... talk about being his biggest fan. The older she got, the more detailed she became when talking about the kind of relationship she had wanted from him. She wanted to be his girlfriend, later, his wife and the mother of his children. The seriousness of the tone in her writing gave him great pause, for he knew now just how much she really loved him through all those years apart. This poor girl had been pining for him ever since that day in 1997 when her mother took her away. He was nowhere near the man this young woman portrayed him as. She had put him up on such a high pedestal, he was getting dizzy. He wasn't this amazing super man she saw in her eyes. Not even close. He was bitter, sarcastic, alienating, and too blunt and honest for his own good a lot of the time... she saw things in him he didn't believe existed, ever. And now? He was a liar, too.

Closing his eyes, he immediately saw her sweet, innocent smile. He was so helpless when she smiled at him. How could he let go of her? How _could_ he do this to her? _She_, the one who idolized him for so long..._ she,_ the one who gave herself so freely to him every time they made love. It was out of control and he didn't know how he was going to walk away come Sunday night, but he knew he had to. For her. He didn't want to bring her down with his internal nightmares, not at this point in her career. She was just starting out and her future looked so very bright. No way was he going to sabotage that.

It was at that point he felt his phone start vibrating in his pocket. Digging it out, he could see a text from April.

_How r u? _

_x_

_I'm okay. Missing you baby._

_x_

_I miss you too, I love you Mister Punk_

_x_

_I love you too. I was just thinking about you._

_x_

_I really am glad to hear that. Go to your window_

_x_

He furrowed his brows. Go to my window?

He pushed himself up and tucked the diary back under the seat cushions, then walked to the large bay window looking out to the street below. _April_...

_Tonight you're mine completely,  
You give your love so sweetly,  
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes,  
But will you love me tomorrow? _

"Colt, I can't make it tonight. Yeah... sorry man. I know. I'm just a little caught up in something really important, okay? Thanks buddy. Yeah. Bye..."

April took the phone from him and tossed it across the counter, then settled her attention back to him. Her reason for living.

From the moment their lips connected and their arms both snaked around the other's body, nothing else mattered, or even existed. The electrified tension in the air between them was startling, and more than obvious. Phil knew what he was doing was wrong... he was taking something that, as far as he was concerned, wasn't even his anymore. But he needed this, here with her... one more time before he let everything go completely to hell. He wanted something good about their relationship to remember.

"What are you doing here?" He muttered against her ear.

Burrowing his nose into the amazing softness of her wavy, dark brown hair, he took the liberty of inhaling her intoxicating vanilla scent one more time.

"I wanted to see you..." She whispered against his neck. "I need you baby."

She had to be here tonight. This was important. Something about this just felt so very different to her, and she couldn't imagine what he was about to do.

Her eyes were closed, and she let her hands slide over the large vee shape of his lat muscles, down over his waist, finally coming to rest on his hard, narrow hips. She loved roving her hands and fingers across every sinewy inch of his sexy body. He was so warm, so firm, yet soft to the touch, and he stirred emotions inside of her no that other man ever could. She felt him tug her further into the apartment, closer to the sofa and she clung to him, her feet shuffling along, all the while still hooked around his neck, her soft, pink lips not once breaking away from his. She was sure his destination was going to be the old couch, but to her surprise, he scooped her into his arms, bridal style.

"Whoa, Phil!" She chirped, her legs and feet swinging high into the air.

_Is this a lasting treasure,  
Or just a moment's pleasure,  
Can I believe the magic of your sighs,  
Will you still love me tomorrow? _

"Tonight, _you're mine_." He hoarsely muttered against her fore head, and pressed his lips to her skin.

"I'm always gonna be yours, Phillip." She murmured in return.

His heart pained at her blissful ignorance with what was coming, and he decidedly pushed the reality of it into the recess of his thoughts. Tonight, she was his and he was hers. Even if it was only this one, last time.

Folding her gently to his body he relished feel of her warmth, and the feel of her sweet, soft kisses, fully aware of what he was about to do to her and how much he shouldn't. His sad eyes wistfully roamed over the fragile curves of her oval face... the way those perfect, amber flecked ribbons of colour danced in her dark, cocoa coloured eyes, to how the sensuous curve of her full, pink lips twisted his insides all to hell... he watched her tuck a lock of mahogany hair behind her ear, then reach for him. Her hand caressed the side of his almost always scratchy face, then slid further up along his neck before coming to a rest at the back of his head, and she gently tugged him toward her, intent on stealing another kiss.

She tilted her head up to meet him, watching as his pale green eyes became soft and heavy, and he absently started to chew on his bottom lip. Snagging her eyes he held her there with him, both now feeling that familiar rush of electricity start to spark between them as it always did. Their eyes closed as their lips connected, her mouth opened slightly, finally feeling the moist warmth of his lips plied against hers as he started to move lazily along, down the hall towards his bedroom.

Breaking their kiss, he tapped the door open wide with his foot and walked into the room.

"You know how much I love you, and always have, right?" He asked, his voice low and tinged with longing.

"Yes, I do..."

"I want you to know I always will love you April... forever."

He watched with grateful eyes as she nodded, and he carried her across the floor, carefully setting her down onto his unmade bed. Sliding in beside her they sat together in the peaceful quiet of the moment, and his gaze dropped to her lap, where she had folded both of her hands. Taking her left one into the both of his, he lovingly grazed his rough fingers over the back of her hand, then turned it over and traced the lines on her open palm, sending a shiver through her body that even he could feel. He stroked up and down each elegant, thin finger as if he were examining her, then back up again across her palm and over her wrist. Her skin felt like velvety rose petals, and she smelled as sweet. Closing his eyes again he leaned into her, burying his nose into the swell of her thick, wavy hair, breathing in her fragrant innocence.

"You know," he whispered against the shell of her tiny ear, "I've never taken for granted how much you love me."

"I know you haven't..."

She couldn't help but feel the minute trembling of his hands and notice the desperation in his voice. Not quite understanding, she brought up her free hand and laid it across his heart, feeling the strong, unmistakable thump of the strong muscle pounding just beneath his ribs. She understood that... Dragging her front teeth across her lower lip, she leaned into him this time.

The wet, warm sensation created when her lips pressed against his enticed a low, desperate growl from his throat, and he let her push him onto his back. Her hair fell around his face like an eastern veil, and he circled his arms around her neck this time, pulling her flush against him as she crawled up across his body.

"God, you feel so good..." She admitted between fast paced, feverish kisses.

"So... do you." He breathlessly answered her, trying to take in just a little more air.

She could feel that slow, primal burn start to rise from deep within, and she began to squirm and writhe on top of him. He'd bent one leg at the knee, resting his foot on the bed, effectively cradling her to one side as she hungrily nibbled at his lips once more. She slid her mouth over his, taking in the erotic feeling of his cool, metal lip ring as it glanced crosswise along her now swollen, slippery lips. She couldn't help inhaling the heady male scent of him, and she never wanted to stop the immediate rush of extreme need for him to be joined with her. The sharp angles of his body were complimented by how pliant and soft he felt under the material of his clothing, and she moved to try and rid him of every stitch.

Sitting up, she tucked her small fingers up inside his tee shirt, not shy about sliding them up his beautifully sculpted, tattooed torso. He quivered under her self assured hands, welcoming what was to come. He helped her by sitting up a little, until she finally pulled it over his head and flung it to the floor before shoving him down onto his back once again. In a show of oneness with him, she teased him. She watched as his eyes followed her every movement... he was transfixed by her. Crossing her arms at the wrists, she grabbed at her own shirt now, slowly but certainly, inching it up along her lithe body, revealing the taut, golden skin of her hips, then her tummy. He licked at his lips and swallowed, knowing the absolute beauty that lay beneath the thin material of the red silken bra she was finally divulging. She could feel him stiffen underneath her and she took the opportunity to grind her bottom into his hips, watching as his breath hitched in his throat. She was killing him.

_Tonight with words unspoken,  
You said that I'm the only one,  
But will my heart be broken,  
When the night  
Meets the morning sun. _

Her own shirt was now laid to waste with his, and she continued to bewitch him... her black tipped little fingers thumbed carelessly at the right strap of her bra now, and she could see his dusky, grey-green eyes dilate at the mere thought of seeing her. They were hooded and dark, and never deviated from her twinkling, playful brown gaze. One finger tucked underneath and she slipped it from the delicate curve of her shoulder. His breathing had increased in tempo, and every few moments she noticed how he would nervously bite at his bottom lip. His hands rested patiently on her athletic thighs, kneading into the hard muscle every few minutes, and appreciating everything that was, April while he still could...

Without another thought, she slid the other strap away, and her hands came together in the front, unclasping the hook, allowing the material to pop away from her svelte, young body. He would never get tired of seeing her like this, hoping to burn the image into his brain for the rest of his days. She was beautiful beyond words, and he knew he did not deserve her. She smiled her toothy, white grin and flicked away the silken material. His hands deftly moved along her thighs and up over her wide hips, ghosted across her quivering tummy and took her breasts into his careful hands. He closed his eyes at the feel of the soft, rounded flesh as it yielded to his touch, massaging her, and hearing her groan aloud with pleasure.

She melted, feeling like she could lose herself right then and there... she was so hot and so very ready, and neither one of them was even fully naked yet. Her womb ached, and the hot, slick feeling between her legs begged his careful attention. She arched her head back and started to twist and wiggle right on top of his obvious arousal, easily feeling his want for her right through their clothing.

Bending closer, she started to leave tiny, feather-light kisses, sliding her hot, moist lips across his inked shoulders and pecs, then down past the dip under his ribs to his waist line. His hands spiked into her wild hair and he arched his hips up to meet her.

Shimmying down onto his thighs a little, she began to tug at his belt, pulling the buckle free and then popping the button of his jeans. The moment she had him in her hands, she could hear a small, desperate whine, and felt his entire body twitch. He involuntarily pushed her head further down, and she took him into her mouth. Her tongue tortured him, leaving a hot, wet trail up and down his thick, aching need, and she started to softly suck at the tip, barley able to grasp him around the base of his erection, doing this repeatedly, over and over...

"_Oh... god.._." His fingers now clutched at the rumpled comforter and his breathing started to become catchy and uneven.

Carefully and methodically she nibbled and licked, all the while firmly stroking him up and down, sliding and sucking, leaving teasing kisses from base to tip. She had him completely at her mercy after more than a few minutes of this, and he knew he wouldn't be able to withstand much more. As much as he enjoyed her aggressive manipulations, he didn't want to finish like this. He wanted her to have better.

Sitting up, he took her head in his hands, and brushed his lips over hers, feeling her warm, minty breath puff against his upper lip. Easing his thumb across her flushed cheek, his fore head touched to hers and he closed his eyes.

"I love you, April. Please, don't ever forget that, no matter what."

Gliding over her dewy lips, his tongue sought entrance, tasting the exotic wonders only she could bestow on him. She was his treasure, his light at the end of the tunnel...her hands quickly pushed his jeans and boxers away and he kicked them from his ankles. He wouldn't make her wait. His fingers then descended below the waistline of her leggings and he began to tug them away. She could feel his hands slowly ghosting over her hips, and she let go of a small cry when he cupped her bottom, giving her a cheeky squeeze.

"You have a fantastic ass, darling..." He muttered, laving his tongue across her hardened, rosy peaks.

She giggled at first, then gasped at the action, returning his sentiment in a halted, breathy tone. "I, I... love you... so much."

Both naked now, he eased her onto her back, his weight now pressing her into the mattress. One hand slipped behind her neck and he began to kiss her again. Open mouthed, deep and sensual, his tongue slipped over hers, tangling together, nipping, biting... hot, wet, sloppy kisses roving from her lips and sliding in a crooked line to her chin and around the graceful, aquiline arch of her neck. He stopped at the small hollow there, sucking at the glistening moisture starting to cover her now blazing skin, creating soft, smacking noises. She couldn't help the needy moan that escaped her throat as she arched up to him even more, lacing her fingers into his short, light brown hair. Her body was alive with wonder and delight at every tingling sensation he brought. She continued to burn and throb inside, and placing her hands firmly at his broad shoulders, she pushed down on them.

"Please..." She mewed, desperate for his expert touch.

He understood what she wanted from him.

His lips never left her body as he trailed a sultry, wet line from her neck, across her collarbone, stopping briefly to suck and nibble at her sensitive skin here and there. He gently purled one nipple in between his fingers as his mouth finally sank into the valley between her breasts. Taking the other into his mouth, his tongue twirled around the hardened bud, sucking and kissing, until it seemed as though she would buck him off. She was aflame with desire for him, as always, her entire being feverish and longing. It was time to move lower...

She felt him start to progress further down her hypersensitive body, feeling his heated breath coursing along her tummy now, and one of his hands gliding over her hip and up across the fluttering muscles of her belly. Pushing her legs apart, he burrowed himself between her trembling thighs, lightly dragging his fanned fingers across her navel, over her pubic bone, and right over her neat, damp curls. Her stomach danced at the feel of his breath so close to her heated core and she started to anticipate how his tongue would feel on her, quaking beneath him now. She let go of a quiet moan when he slipped his finger in between her soft, moist folds to find she was unbelievably wet already. Using two fingers now, he spread her open, tasting her, swirling his tongue over her vibrating mass of nerves over and over... she grabbed fistfuls of his hair at first touch, as he sucked on the tender, aching pearl hidden there, driving her to sheer madness. She couldn't help the small, cat-like cries or the involuntary wiggling of her hips. She was on fire, her core was throbbing and he was fanning the flames. When he moved two fingers in and out of her slick, tight walls, her thighs almost closed on his head.

"I... I need you, please..."

"You taste so good..." He rasped, refusing to stop just yet.

He dipped his tongue back, lapping up the sticky nectar she so readily provided to him. She felt him assault her once again, his lips and tongue sucking and nibbling, feeling her womb begin to contract with pleasure each time he pressed his tongue flat against her. His fingers plunged deeply inside her now, moving in and out as wave after startling wave of light crashed down, and her entire body began to quake uncontrollably around him. She could not bridle the scream that left her lips, or how she grabbed him by the ears and yanked his head up to meet hers for a searing, needful kiss.

Offering her a sweet, lover's smile, he rolled onto his side, opening the night table drawer. Removing a condom from its packaging, he deftly slipped it onto himself before climbing back over her. They weren't done yet.

She was still pulsing when she felt him move between her legs once more. With one hand resting on the curve of her hip, his throbbing length gradually slid inside bit by bit, filling her, stealing her breath away. With the greatest of skilled discipline, he slowly began to move, and she pinched her nails into his shoulders, curling her knees around his hips for support. He cradled her upper body in his arms as he slowly and methodically started to rock his hips against hers.

Sweat began to form more readily on their bodies now, and she ebbed up to meet him like the tide does the moon. Her hands were anchored on his shoulders, and she felt every powerful thrust bringing her closer and closer to her own, personal nirvana.

He moved with purpose, extracting every bit of pleasure out of this as he humanly could. He wanted it to last forever... but his body and the natural order of things dictated the terms. Feeling his stomach tighten and his own release now descending upon him, he had to let go. He had no choice.

Nothing lasts forever.

She felt her thighs start to quake, and her body shook unrelentingly as she crashed against his chest, raking her nails down his back. Crying out against him, he shuddered as she mercilessly closed in all around him now, forcing his own, fated release. He could not hold onto her any longer... it was over. She wasn't his anymore.

_I'd like to know that your love,  
Is love I can be sure of,  
So tell me now and I won't ask again,  
Will you still love me tomorrow? _

_She watched him grab the title and make his way to the guardrail._

_She watched him blow a kiss at Vince before leaving through his hometown crowd._

_She watched him hold the WWE Title up high, the fans roaring their approval._

_She watched Vince look on, helpless to stop him and without his crown jewel._

_And finally..._

_She watched Phil walk out of her life._

A tear slid down her cheek at the stark realization of it. She had been well aware there was something very wrong when she left his apartment the next morning. He'd been quiet, reserved to a fault, almost. Again, she asked him about his plans to re-sign, again he swore he was not leaving. She knew now. He wasn't just making love to her four days ago... he was saying goodbye.

* * *

**Okay, not I will hand this back to White Firebird for the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. We appreciate all your comments. ;)**


	25. moving in & moving on

**Hey everyone...White Firebird with the new chapter. Not much to say here. The song used here is "Replace You" by Silerstein. That's really all there is. Hope you all enjoy the new addition! **

* * *

_"I'm setting sun behind the trees, the saddest one you've ever seen._

_I've been burning holes and breaking dreams, and I regret it._

_I'm fixing things I've broken, it's not as easy as it used to be._

_I'm throwing temper tantrums. I used to settle, but now I make a scene._

_You can't believe..."_

**_"This is the house that Punk built, sorry I can't make it to the phone, I'm too busy admiring how good the WWE Title looks hanging over my bed. Leave a message, and if I don't hate you, I'll get back to you. Maybe. Probably not."_**

Phil had heard the phone ringing off the hook for the last ten minutes, and he couldn't understand why anyone would be calling at such an ungodly hour. When the phone rang again, he groaned and turned over to his side to check the time...it was eight thirty in the fucking morning. Who the hell was up this early? Robots and empty suit douchebags, that's who. Didn't everyone know that he was the real life Batman? Didn't they know that bats were nocturnal? First thing he was going to do once he woke up from his little power nap was disconnect his phone...ever since he left Vince and the rest of the WWE high and dry with _"their"_ title, he had been getting calls nonstop, most of them ranging from getting begged to come back to threats of getting sued for leaving with something that wasn't his. Oh, but it **was** his, and they were **wrong...**

The next sound that echoed through the air was his doorbell being pushed a thousand and one times. Now he was getting pissed off...whoever the hell this was that was attempting to get his attention was going to get their ass handed to them, Chicago style. Rolling onto his other side, his blinked a few times and then tried rubbing the sleep away from his heavily lidded, world weary eyes. It had been hard to come by in the three weeks since he left, sleep. Not that he ever got much of it anyway, but now especially, it was difficult...his dreams were always filled with wavy, long, dark brown tresses and cocoa colored eyes...swollen pink lips...he told himself he wouldn't think about that situation unless he was looking at the diary that had been left behind. His only link to her...

Placing his feet on the floor and grabbing the WWE Title off of the rack on his wall that hung above his bed, he slid the spoils of his ultimate victory over Vince around his waist and strapped it on, walking down his steps to his living room, doing his best to avoid direct contact with the rays of sunlight that were peeking through his windows as he made his way to his front door. Opening the door, he readied himself to hand out the mother of all shit kickings, but was surprised when he saw...

"Amy?!"

The fiery red head stood there, leaning against the door frame, her arms crossed over her chest and right leg crossed over her other one. She had her head tilted to the side and an unimpressed look on her face as she took in the image of him...buck ass naked...with only the WWE Title covering his private parts. She smiled. This was going to be fun...

"Wow, Phil. I knew you were a douche, but answering the door wearing only the title you stole from the company you left and nothing else? That's a whole 'nother level on the scale of douche-ocity for you."

He stood there in stunned silence as she walked in and brushed past him, tossing her bags on the floor and flopping down onto his couch, kicking her feet up onto the coffee table in front of her, making herself at home. He moved at a snails pace to catch up with her, still shocked that she was here and in his humble abode without warning. He didn't even seem to notice or care that he was, indeed, naked, the title being his only saving grace from going Full Monty.

Stopping a few feet away from her, Phil struggled to find the appropriate words that would be used in a situation like this. He couldn't even remember the last time he had seen Amy, let alone talked to her. Ever since their break up a year and a half ago in the fall of 2009, communication had been scarce between them. A text here, a phone call there, but nothing substantial...it was as if they had completely forgotten that, once upon a time, they were both heavy influences in each others lives. Which is why her being here confused the living shit out of him right now. It also now hit him that it was probably her that was calling nonstop...

"Why...why are you here?", he asked her, almost breathless. He feared the worst almost immediately. "Did someone have an accident? Is everything okay?", he kept on, the next question out of his mouth one he wished he could have taken back. "Did Jeff finally die of an OD?"

The look on Amy's face said it all. She couldn't believe that one of the first things out of his mouth was such a horrible, disrespectful question like that. But she didn't bite, and she kept her mouth shut, opting to go along on the high road and ignore it. She'd take a mental note of it and keep it tucked away for later. "Everything's fine, you tool, calm down. Nice to see you too", she said as evenly as she could. A sigh then escaped her lips as she glanced at him and rolled her eyes. "And for fuck's sake, Phil, put some damn clothes on, will ya? Nobody wants to see you looking like this, least of all me."

Only now did Phil realize that he was, indeed, completely naked except for the WWE Title hanging loosely from his hips. Groaning and mumbling under his breath, he stalked off up the steps to his room, leaving the copper haired ex-Diva alone for a few moments as she looked around the apartment. "Not a bad place you got here, Punk...but it needs a feminine touch...", she said to herself as she waited, getting comfortable on the plush couch. It was then that she noticed the old, frayed notebook sitting on the coffee table, in plain sight. What was this? Sitting up, she went to grab it, but quickly put it back in it's place after hearing Phil coming back down the stairs. She was definitely curious about the contents of that book...

"There, happy now?", he said gruffly as he joined her on the couch, sitting on the opposite end, facing her, his hands tangled together in his lap. She nodded her head, a smug little grin spreading across her dark red lips, and let him continue. She couldn't help but notice that he still had the title with him, and she rolled her eyes at that. He was gripping it possessively as he slung it over his shoulder. "Now explain to me why you're here and why this couldn't wait until a normal hour in the day."

Amy chuckled, taking note of the clearly agitated tone he was using with her. It was fun messing around with him, she had missed doing this. He'd never admit it, but it was always so easy for her to get under his skin. "What's the matter? Not happy to see me? I don't know how you couldn't be happy. I'm pretty much the coolest person alive."

His eye began to twitch, and a evil little grin curled up onto her lips. "Amy, cut the crap and get to the fucking point before I get even more pissed."

A sigh escaped her, and she lowered her head, her hair falling over her face so that he couldn't see her roll her eyes. As much fun as it was to fuck around with him, she knew from experience that he was quite the hot head, and the last thing she wanted was to listen to one of his trademark temper tantrums this early in the morning. "Well then, if you must know...I recently bought a place here, on the lower south side", she began, taking silent delight in watching his eyes bug out of his damn head. "But as it turns out, it needs to have a lot of remodeling done, I have to get it fumigated, all that stuff, so...I'm moving in with you until that's done!"

She waited for him to blow up, but it didn't come immediately. His eye kept twitching and his breathing had become heavier than a few seconds ago. Closing his eyes and inhaling a deep breath, he placed the WWE Title on the coffee table in front of him, on top of the diary so that she wouldn't see it, and leaned forward, exhaling. "Don't lie to me like that, woman", was what he said through gritted teeth. "You know I don't like a liar."

A snort escaped her lips at his last comment. "Oh _wow_, Phil, that was as hypocritical a statement that I've ever heard. But that notwithstanding, I'm not lying, you jerk. I really did buy a place here on the south side. I move as soon as they're done fixing it up."

"And how long is that?", he asked, dreading the answer.

Tapping a finger to her chin, Amy grinned. "Oh, however long they take. I told them that there was no rush, that my _dear buddy_ had no issue with me shacking up with him till they got the job done properly", she said and that was when he let loose a groan of pure frustration. She knew he wanted to yell and kick and scream but she was surprised with his self control. A year and a half ago and he'd have torn something down by now. Instead, he sank into the couch and dragged a hand over his face, no doubt cursing his bad luck right now.

"There's more to this, isn't there?", he asked, knowing what Amy was going to say. "Just tell me now so I can deal with it and get over it as quickly as possible", he grumbled as he shook his head. Why was this happening to him? Was this his punishment for what he had done? It must be. What he had done was wrong on every single level of the moral plane, yes, but did he really deserve having his ex-girlfriend move in with him in the manner that she was? He was now wishing he hadn't even woken up and just let the doorbell ring...

"Oh of course there is! But I'll tell ya what, champ. I'll go make us a pot of coffee and some breakfast, and we can talk about it over that. I mean, it's the least I can do for just moving in with you like this, right?", Amy asked rhetorically as she stood up, making sure to walk by Phil and pat him on the head, ruffling his hair, before walking into the kitchen.

Phil groaned again and bit down on his lip ring. Yep, this was definitely his punishment for doing what he did three weeks ago...

_"I said I'd never walk away, but I'm not able to stay._

_I said I'd never leave this place, but I can't stay here._

_To watch you fade and watch you change into someone I can't face._

_I can't replace, I can't replace you."_

* * *

_"You're the swirling wind above the sea, the maddest storm they've seen._

_Now you're breaking waves and smashing dreams, and you can't help it._

_You're drowning streets and stranding a million people, you're starting out with me._

_You're crashing down from anger, your stuff is settled and now you're sound asleep._

_And so serene..."_

"AJ? AJ, sweetie, are you in there? It's me, Eve...can I come in?"

There was nothing but silence on the other end of the door. Eve sighed and leaned her head against it's wooden frame, unsure of what to do next. It had been three weeks since Money In The Bank, and AJ had taken to locking herself away in her hotel room in every new town they travelled to. The only time she ever came out was to do a show and then when they were leaving for the next town. She barely spoke a word to anyone, herself included, and to say that it was worrying all of the girls on the roster would be a gross understatement. It was taking it's toll on her and Kofi as well...after all, they were being charged with looking out for her well being while...he, was away. His name had become dirty amongst everyone that wasn't a friend of his or even knew him in the slightest bit. She had tried, in vain, to defend him while others callously ripped him apart and tried to drag his name through the mud, but the truth was, she couldn't stick up for him.

What he had done at Money In The Bank, and the months leading up to it, was unspeakable and immoral.

Looking over her shoulder, she was graced with Kofi's presence, a tired, almost half-hearted smile on his lips as he sipped on a Red Bull. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink in days, and if she was being honest with herself, she felt the same exact way too. All of their attempts to get AJ to come out of her shell in the tiniest bit failed miserably, to say the least. They were running out of options.

"Still nothing, huh?", Kofi asked her as he rubbed at the back of his neck. She gave him a simple nod of the head and he shook his own. "I figured as much...well, looks like we have to take matters into our own hands."

"What do you mean by that?", she asked, unsure of what the meaning of his words were. When she saw him produce a hotel key card, she raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "Why do you have two key cards? You only have one room..."

That grin of his appeared for the first time in days and she finally figured out what he was getting at. "I went behind April's back and booked her room for her, so they gave me her extra key card. We're going in there and getting her to talk to us if it's the last thing we do, Eve. She can't keep hiding from us, she can't go all this time without at least trying to talk about what happened. She needs us right now."

"Okay...but we can't just barge in, guns blazing, expecting her to just open up and talk about how she's doing. We have to take this one step at a time."

Kofi nodded his head and slid the card into the handle and opened the door, entering the room to find it untouched and as clean as it could possibly be. April's bags were tucked away neatly in the corner, next to the television, and the room was deserted...until he ventured further in and saw her. If his heart didn't already bleed for the poor girl, it was pouring a gusher of blood upon seeing her on the bed.

Curled up in the middle of it, she rested peacefully...wearing his shirt from Money In The Bank, that fateful night in Chicago. Her back was to the two of them, and the words** 'Best In The World'** were emblazoned on the back, along with the place and date, in big red and black letters for all to see. April stirred and turned over onto her other side to face them, and it warmed both of their hearts to know that she looked like she was finally getting some decent sleep.

"Look at her", Eve commented softly as she watched her friend and fellow sister move around on the bed. She also had some of his wristbands on to go along with the million bracelets she always wore, and she was clutching a teddy bear dressed in his old Nexus shirt. If this wasn't adorable, she didn't know what was. It was also incredibly heartbreaking...this she could not deny. "She looks so precious when she's like this, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, she does", Kofi responded, trying to smile. He still felt so bad for the girl. This was hitting her harder than he could have ever imagined. The shirt, the wristbands, the teddy bear...she was clutching, grasping at anything that reminded her of him and trying to keep it from running off on her. He suddenly felt a pang of angst in his veins. "Phil's a real bastard for doing this to her."

Eve sighed and swept away some loose locks of her hair. "I know he is. But he's still our friend, and he wanted us to make sure that she was okay. She'll open up to us eventually. You have to understand...she just had her poor little heart ripped out by the one person she thought would never do that to her. She's in denial...she's going to be hurting for a long time. We just have to make sure that we can ease her pain as much as humanly possible."

"You think we should wait here till she wakes up?", Kofi asked as he looked to his fellow guardian angel, so to speak. He had started calling themselves that, because in reality, they practically were. Rarely did they go a prolonged period of time without checking in on little AJ, making sure she was okay and not trying anything extreme.

"No, we should let her get some rest. Leave a note and we'll stop by later to see if she needs anything. I don't want to intrude on her like this any longer", Eve said as she took out a pen and handed it to Kofi, watching him scribble a note on the pad next to the bed. "Besides, I have to go meet up with Nattie and Ley about setting our feud into motion..."

"Yeah, I gotta talk with Sheamo, we've got a bunch of tag matches set up for the next few house shows and he needed to ask me a few questions", he said as he finished the note and nodded his head down at it. The two of them made their way to the door, but not before taking one last look at April, who was still soundly asleep. "I hope she can become a stronger girl because of this."

A tiny smile appeared on Eve's lips. "I know she will. She's a fighter."

After hearing what she thought was the door closing behind her two visitors, April's eyes snapped open. She took a quick look around the room to absolutely make sure that they were gone, and when she was satisfied with what she saw, she put her teddy bear on the table next to her, covering Kofi's note. Looking down at the shirt she was currently wearing, a tear slid from her eyelid down her cheek and she felt her heart break all over again. When she returned to grab her things from his dressing room on that night devastating night, all she found of his was the shirt and a small note that simply read _"I'm sorry."_

It took all of her power to not want to break down and cry herself to death right then and there.

She appreciated all of the help that Kofi and Eve tried to supply her with, but she knew that night, and every night since then, that their help was almost useless. Try as they might, and she knew they were going to, but they could never fill the void he left her with when he got the hell out of dodge. She wanted to get out now like he did...quit all together and become a recluse...never leave her home. What was her reason for being around when the one man, her supposed soul mate, someone she had known and loved since she was nine years old, the one man she thought would never break her trust...the man who took her virginity and opened her up to a whole new, beautiful world...took a sledgehammer to her heart and shattered it into a million and one tiny pieces? She had no reason. None. At. All.

Reaching under her pillow, she pulled out a framed picture of the two of them, when they were in love, watching the glass glisten in the light...much like his lip ring would...and she sighed. She looked at it every day, and it killed her to do so. Tears began to swirl in her eyes, and soon enough, the water works show began, and she rocked herself gently back and forth. This was how she coped...

Kofi patted himself and realized he had left the spare key in April's room. "I'll catch up with you later, Eve, I gotta go get the extra card from AJ's room real quick", he said, waving the Denver born Diva off as he turned around. Opening the door and walking into the room, he made sure to tip toe quietly...and that's when he saw her, his back turned to him, her cries echoing through the small room as she whispered 'I'm sorry' to herself over and over...he saw the note he left behind clutched in her hand, along with a picture...his heart broke into a million pieces for her.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

_"I said I'd never walk away, but I'm not able to stay._

_I said I'd never leave this place, but I can't stay here._

_To watch you fade and watch you change into someone I can't face._

_I can't replace, I can't replace you."_

* * *

_"And when the sun is down and when the skies are calm you'll see, calm will be._

_We'll wait for the cycle, we'll repeat our same mistakes. Same mistakes we've always made."_

"So what do you know about what happened?"

Phil sat down at his kitchen table, a piping hot mug of black coffee in his hand as he stared across at Amy, who was putting the finishing touches on her french toast and eggs that she had whipped up for them both. Sitting down at the other end of the table, she grabbed her knife and fork, seemingly ignoring his inquiry, instead digging into her food. Grinning, she grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her lower lip. "I forgot how bitchin' my french toast was. You sure you don't want some?"

He glared at her, unimpressed and agitated, only breaking the look on his face to take a sip of his coffee. Tapping his inked fingers on the table, he so wanted to wipe the smirk off of her plush red lips badly. She really was like him in a lot of ways. Was this what it was like when he acted like a prick to people?

"Okay, okay. Play time is over, Phil, I promise", she confessed, holding her hands up in faux surrender. But before she continued any further, her eyes fell on the gaudy and annoyingly bright forty pound trinket that was now resting on the table. "Seriously man, are you gonna carry that thing with you everywhere you go?", she asked, motioning toward the WWE Title.

"God damn right I am", he said fiercely, patting the title as if it were a cherished pet. "Now talk. You. Here. Why." There was no room for argument or messing around in his tone of voice.

Sighing and running a hand through her sea of auburn waves, she thought about what to say. Where would she start? She had only been told half of the story, so she didn't have much to go on...she figured she might as well start simple, then go from there. Where was the harm in that? "So you really left the company, huh? No storyline, no jerking the rug from under our feet, so secret deal that nobody but a select few know about...it's all one hundred percent real?", she asked, taking another bite of her breakfast and washing it down with coffee.

Nodding his head sharply, a smirk played at his lips as he dug his phone out of his pocket and went to his saved voicemail's. "If it wasn't real, then I wouldn't be getting these little love letters left for me every so often", he said, pressing play and handing the phone over to her so she could take a listen. Vince's screams were so loud she had to pull back, amazement written across her facial features.

"Jesus, Phil, the way he was yelling it was as if you killed Stephanie or Shane", she commented, her eyes once more drifting to the WWE Title that laid in front of him. "I can't believe you actually stole the damn title. They're going to sue your ass for whatever they can, you know that right? What are they gonna do about this as far as the shows go?", she asked, watching him shrug his shoulders, looking like he didn't have a care in the world as to what could happen.

"Don't know, doesn't matter to me", he said as he stifled a yawn and took another sip of coffee. "Only thing I do know is that they're not getting this puppy back till I feel like giving it back...which will be never", he said, watching Amy mimic the last few words he spoke.

"What else is there to this whole thing though, huh?", Amy asked him, figuring that if she was going to venture into the uncharted waters of his personal life again, she might as well dive in head first and hope for the best. "I heard you had a nice little thing going on with a sweet little girl named..."

_"Don't",_ he said, venom and heartbreak laced throughout his voice. Amy could feel the mood and the atmosphere change considerably within the confines of the kitchen. She knew he wasn't one to divulge information about his life, but she wasn't here to coddle and nurture him. She was here to kick his ass back into gear and figure out just why the hell he did what he did at Money In The Bank. "I suggest you don't say anything more about that", his tone firm and absolute.

Oh, how she loved to make a habit out of poking the bear that was named Phillip Jack Brooks incessantly. "So, Colt told me her name was April. Also told me that you used to be her babysitter...that you've known her since she was eight years old. He told me a lot of stuff about her, actually. She sounds like the sweetest, most adorable little gal ever. Loved any and everything about you. And you threw her heart in a paper shredder."

Phil grew eerily silent as he gripped his coffee mug to the point where she thought it was going to shatter in his hand. He didn't make eye contact with her either, his wandering orbs finally settling on his crown jewel, taking it and dragging it off the table, slinging it possessively over his shoulder. He scratched at his now scraggly beard, having let it grow back in in three weeks since he left, and hung his head low, wisps of his feathery hair hanging over his head. Muttering to himself, he stood up from the table and began to exit the kitchen, intent on getting to his room and locking himself in there for the rest of the day.

But Amy wasn't having any of that, oh no, she wasn't.

"Where do you think you're going, mister?", she asked, cutting him off at the pass and poking him hard in the chest. When he didn't respond, she started to grow agitated with his sudden change in demeanor; he was putting his walls up again and retreating to his hiding spot, a tactic she knew all too well. She wasn't going to let him skate away so easily.

He tried pushing his way past her, succeeding in doing so as he entered the living room, but she was hot on his trails, finally grabbing hold onto the sleeve of his shirt and, surprisingly, forcing him to sit down on the couch. She sat down next to him and boldly took the WWE Title off of his shoulder and tossed it to the side like yesterday's trash. Phil's eyes bugged out of their head when she did that, but she didn't care. He wasn't going to use the title as a proverbial shield any longer. Things were about to get very real, very fast.

"You're going to talk to me, Phil, and you're going to open up to me, and you're going to like it. Colt only told me what he knew, so you're going to fill in every single blank, even if it takes you all damn day to do so!", she exclaimed, staring him straight in the eye. It was time to get down to business.

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Phil sighed inwardly. "There's nothing to tell you. It's none of your business, Amy", he said cooly.

"And why isn't it any of my business? Huh Phil? Why? Because we haven't spoken in a while, because we haven't seen each other in even longer? Is it because you don't consider me a friend anymore? That I'm someone that you used to know? What is it?", she yelled out at him, practically hyperventilating as she breathed, her fists shaking with a bit of rage. God, she almost forgot how fucking difficult he could be.

"You broke up with me!", he yelled back at her, rage this time consuming him. "You were one of my best friends and someone I loved, and you just threw that shit away like nothing! Granted, I have my faults, and at that point in my life, I was consumed with my career, but for fuck's sake, we worked around worse problems than that! You got fed up and tossed me aside like trash! How the fuck do you think that made me feel, huh Ames? And now...now, you just show up at my home, acting like nothing ever happened, acting like we're buddies, and then saying you're moving in with me!? What the fuck is wrong with that picture!?", he finished, his body shaking with anger, face turning red and knuckles turning whiter than his walls as he tried to calm himself down but failed miserably.

She wasn't expecting him to say something along those lines. He still harbored bitterness for the end of their relationship? That blew her mind a little bit. She knew he held grudges...but she thought he'd had gotten over that a long time ago. This was something she had to wrap her mind around. "You're...you're still upset about that? Phil...that was almost two years ago..."

Folding his arms across his chest and lowering his head, he whispered, "You were different from the rest of the girls I've dated. Maria...Beth...the countless others...we got along so well because we were so alike...I felt like I lost a piece of me when you broke things off. And now you want to be friends again? It works both way, yeah, I could have reached out to you...but you could have done the same thing, Ames...now you're trying to understand something you could never comprehend..."

"Then help me understand and comprehend it, Phillip", she said, placing her slender hand on his and taking it in her own, her thumb rubbing along his inked knuckles. "Let me be your friend again. Let me become one of your best friends all over again. That romantic ship...it set sail a long time ago...but that doesn't mean I don't want to be a part of your life. You were always a great guy to me, Phillip, you treated me right...and I took that for granted. I don't want to do that anymore."

"Let me back in."

Phil raised his eyes to look at the red headed devil, as he used to call her, for a moment. She hadn't changed much in the near two years since their relationship's demise. She hadn't changed at all, actually. She still knew how to push his buttons, knew how to get through to him. He could see that she was trying here too. He'd by lying if he said that he didn't miss the talks the two of them would have. Despite what happened, she was always someone that took him at face value and didn't judge him, mainly because she was like him in so many ways. He shook his head and sighed. He couldn't believe he was about to do this, but...

"The guest room is upstairs, just down the hall from my own room. Do whatever the hell you want with it", he stated, reaching behind him to grab one of her bags, tossing it to her. He noticed how her eyes lit up a bit at that, and he did his best to not break out into a huge shit-eating grin right then and there. "This", he said, using his finger to point between himself and her, "is going to take some getting used to again. But if you're willing to start over and be just friends again, then I'm willing to try it as well."

"Thank you, Phil", Amy quickly said, smiling at him. "That...that means a lot to me."

He nodded his head, and it was then that the shit eating grin broke out in full force when he saw her stand up and pick up the discarded title, placing it over his shoulder before sitting back down with him. Suddenly, they both broke out into laughter. After it subsided, Phil looked to Amy and smiled...she had missed seeing that smile of his.

"So, you wanna hear about mine and April's story?", he asked. Amy nodded her head, scooting over to the other side of the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest and curling into a ball. "All right then..."

"It started one Friday night in Chicago, in October of 1995..."

* * *

Phil yawned as he checked the time on his phone. He had spent all day regaling Amy about his and April's story, from it's beginnings with him as her babysitter to...him leaving her, much like she had done to him all those years ago. After he was done, he could tell that Amy had a better understanding of the situation, and she felt like she knew all about April without even meeting her. She decided to call it a night and retreated to the guest bedroom that she was now calling her own, and thanked him one last time before departing. He was now alone, in his living room...and his eyes were trained on April's diary. An idea crossed his mind. He noticed that toward the back of the book, there were more than a few empty pages...he opened the book and grabbed a pen, putting it to the paper.

_August 7th, 2011_

_Hey April...it's me, Phil. You left this behind accidentally a month or so ago...one of the last times you were over before everything hit the fan. I won't lie, I've read some of the entries you wrote in this thing...and every single one of them pulled at my heart strings harder than the last. I had no idea you felt so...strongly about you and I. Even when I was still babysitting you, you wanted so much for the two of us. It shocked me to my core, to be honest. I didn't know what to say or do...you put me on such a pedestal and I felt like the biggest piece of shit ever. I was going to leave the company for the already documented reasons everyone knows about, but when I read this..._

_I made the decision to leave because I needed to become what you said I was in here. I needed to better myself. And I'm going to. When I come back...whenever that is...I'm going to show you just how much you mean to me. You once told me that you were going to be my keeper for life. And you were right. You are going to be my keeper for life. I'm never going to let you go. I'm going to love you forever. - Phillip Jack Brooks_

Amy watched from the top of the steps, looking down at Phil as he put the finishing touches on his own entry into April's diary. She smiled widely. It was going to take some time, there were going to be kinks to work out and many bumps in the road...but with her help and his willingness to change himself...

She was going to help lead Phil right back into April's arms.

_"I said I'd never walk away, but I'm not able to stay._

_I said I'd never leave this place, but I can't stay here._

_To watch you fade and watch you change into someone I can't face._

_I can't replace, I can't replace you._

_I said I'd never walk away..."_

* * *

**And that's that. Hope you all enjoyed! See ya next time! =)**


	26. throwing it all away

_Well if the sky could paint a picture  
and the sea could tell a tale  
if the hills rose up around you  
will that be enough to make you understand  
that giving up will only make a lonely man _

"Hey, AJ!"

April turned around, just finishing getting changed out of her ring gear.

"AMY! Oh my god! I can't believe it!" She raced over and bear hugged the older woman, almost knocking them both to the floor.

"Hey girl, It's so great to see you! I saw your match tonight, You killed it, baby!"

"Thanks Amy, that means so much coming from you." Glancing behind her, April hoped she might see someone else with her, but she was, disappointingly, alone.

Amy could see the poor girl's face fall, her expectation high that a certain someone might be in tow.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I came here by myself. But..." She pulled AJ's diary out of her bag, handing it to her. "Just remember, _he loves you_."

"He's got a funny way of..." April's eyes widened and she literally snatched the book from Amy's hands. "My diary! Where, how..."

"You left it at his place, and I offered to hand deliver it to you. That's part of the reason I'm here, that, and I wanted to see how you're holding up."

_well if the sky came down to meet you  
and the sea came to your door  
well if the wind whispered in your ear  
would that be enough to make you understand  
that giving up was never in the master plan _

April sighed, and her shoulders slackened. "I've been better, you know? He really hurt me Amy... I still love him too, but... I don't know if I can ever trust his word again. I, I may never..."

"Give it time, sweetie. Just like you, he needs some time as well. He's a bit fucked up these days too. Phil's always been a tinder keg. He's a ball of raw emotion most of the time, and he gets ridiculously flustered and confused so easily. Even he doesn't know what to do with himself most of the time. He needs a fucking keeper." She released a light hearted laugh. "That's where you come in, sweetie."

"_A bit_? He made no secret he doesn't want me anymore, Amy." April had no doubt about it. She started to flip through the book, and her eyes caught some entries at the back that weren't hers. Her heart almost stopped. "Wait a minute... he, he wrote in here? Did he read this?" Her eyes wide, she looked up to Amy, horrified.

"I don't know of he read anything," she lied, "but he did write something in there for you. I think you should wait until you're alone before you read what he has to say, okay?" Amy suggested, hoping April would wait. Amy herself had read the entire thing. She wasn't proud of that, but she had to know exactly what she was dealing with if she was going to be able to help these two love sick fools at all. They had to be two of the most stubborn people she'd ever met. "He misses you."

April tucked it into her travel bag, agreeing. She suddenly felt a really strong urge to run and hide, needing to be alone. Her gut was burning with anticipation of reading his words to her. How could he possibly explain this to her in a way that she would ever feel comfortable trusting him again? She had to get away.

"I really have to get going now anyhow, but I really am happy I got a chance to see you Amy, and thanks for bringing this back to me. I thought I'd lost it."

"Hey, no problem chick. It's the least I could do for the girl who put up with Phil's cranky ass." Amy smiled at her, gave her one more hug before watching her leave, knowing she was probably going to find a nice quiet spot to read what Phil had to say. She hoped against hope that Phil knew what the fuck he was doing, because this was just plain cruel to the young woman.

_well she loves him  
and he loves her too  
they don't understand  
what love can do  
it's the greatest gift of all  
and the boy's gonna throw it all away _

Instead of waiting until she got back to her hotel, April found a nice, quiet spot in the arena and dug out her diary. Part of her was mortified Phil had probably read it from cover to cover, but part of her was relieved, too. Now, now maybe he'd actually been able to realize just what he meant to her and for how long. Flipping through the pages, she came to where he'd started to lay down his own thoughts. His penmanship was impeccable, as usual. Next to his writing, hers looked so childish. Starting to read, she could hear his soothing, baritone voice so clearly... that tired, sexy drawl she was so used to filled her head with each word, and her chest started to feel so very heavy. August 7th... the words tugged at her aching heart, strangling her. She was right, he had read it. He was such a nosey man. He had always preferred to call it curious. Closing her eyes she could see him sitting on his couch writing these promises to her. Would he keep them? She dared not believe it, she dared not have any hope in it. Oh... dear god... _I'm going to love you forever_... Did he really love her? Did he even know what love really was? How could he possibly have any idea when it had been so easy for him to abandon her in such a cold hearted way? He failed to realize he was already all the things that she said he was in her diary... that and so much more. For a man who was capable of anything, he was incapable of realizing she believed in him no matter what, and she loved him for who he was. She didn't want to change him, she only wanted to love him.

_August 10__th__ 2011_

_Hey Apple Jacks... me again. I'm starting to feel like a girl now, writing in your diary. I hope you're doing all right. I worry about you all the time. Can't help it, I'm like an old mother. Listen, I know I hurt you, but one day I'll make up for that. I will. I just hope you don't hate me so much that you won't give me the chance to prove it. _

_well the sky ran out of paper  
and the sea can't find the words  
well the wind has been distracted  
left you all alone  
what can you do?  
you know you were meant for her  
and she was meant for you _

It killed her to think he was so sure she hated him. Anything but. She hated what he'd done and how he'd done it. She hated that he failed to realize he could confide in her and tell her anything, she hated that he'd left her to sink or swim on her own... but hate him? Never... Trusting him again, however, that was going to be another matter entirely. A tear slipped down her face as she read even more. Gosh, he'd written at least seven entries in it!

August 13th 2011

_Dear April, I hope you're feeling good today. I really miss you. I'm sorry for saying that. I know I was the one who left you. I have no right to tell you that, but I can't help myself. Sometimes I wonder if I've made a huge mistake? Time will tell. I'm working on all the things I said I would, for you. I'm on my way to being a better man for you, sweetheart. Soon... Phillip_

The next entry, the last one... that was the hardest one to read. It was only three days old.

_August 22__nd__ 2011_

_It's four twenty am and I'm sitting here, unable to sleep. Imagine that, huh? I was thinking about you and how far you've come in such a short amount of time. I saw you on tv yesterday and you looked awesome. I'm still working on my many flaws, as you know I have several of them, and I think I may be close to a breakthrough. Stop laughing. I am. Really! Seriously though... having to let you go was the hardest thing I ever did in my entire life. I regret hurting you so much. I hope you still feel the same for me as I do for you. Love, always, Phillip_

She didn't realize she was crying now. Full on sobs, her shoulders bobbing up and down, her breath catching and unable to draw in any sort of decent amount of air. Her eyes stung, and her body ached as all of her misery consumed her so quickly, she was unable to control it anymore.

"Damn you! Damn, you, damn you!" She hurled the little book across the small office space, watching through bleary, tear filled eyes as it hit the wall. She was angry, and she loved him beyond reason, but how could he... how _could_ he?

Amy would know more about this, and she needed some answers, now. Gathering her diary up and stuffing it into her bag, she went off in search of the legendary diva.

_well if the world stopped turning circles  
and the stars fell to the ground  
well if the river ran away  
would you follow it wherever it may lead you  
if it's really not  
you'll know just what to do _

"So what exactly are your plans now Amy?" Randy asked her as he pulled his shirt over his head. "Did you say you were moving?"

"Yeah, I bought a place in Chicago, but it needs some work so I'm staying with Phil until it's finished."

"You're what?" He gave her a very skeptical look.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Orton! It's not what you're thinking! That man is love sick over a pretty little thing he hopes will still take him back when he's finished mulling his life over."

"He's got a peculiar way of showing it. What man hides the truth of something really big from someone he loves, then leaves her all alone to deal with the fallout? Especially when that something effects both of their lives?" He started shaking his head with disgust over the whole situation. "Any fool can see what a mess that kid's in, Amy. Punk was wrong to do that to her. I'm just surprised Nick hasn't tried swooping in yet."

"Nick? He'd better not..."

"At least he wouldn't have left AJ hanging high and dry, and he certainly wouldn't have lied to her for months about it."

Amy could see that what Phil had done to AJ didn't just NOT sit well with the girl herself. Most of the roster had a healthy hate on for him at the moment. It wasn't hard to understand, but they didn't know him like she did. He needed time to sort himself out, although he could have at least stayed in his relationship with AJ, instead of dumping her to the side lines along with everything else in his life. He really was an all or nothing guy.

Randy was about to leave, when he turned around and looked right at the red haired maven. "So, you're living with him, you used to be lovers, and he's just dumped his girlfriend. You do realize if AJ finds out you're there, she's probably not going to believe there isn't something going on. You know that, right?"

Amy hadn't stopped to think for even a moment that AJ might think she was fooling around with Phil...

"I wouldn't do that to either one of them, Randy. That's pretty fucking low."

He snorted his disbelief. "If I have trouble believing you... hell, I can't imagine what AJ will think. She's on the bridge, you know, she's climbed the railing. One of these days, that girl's gonna jump. And you know who we'll all get to blame? Punk."

"I'm not sleeping with him, for god sake, I'm just living with him temporarily!"

_well he loves her  
and she loves him too  
they don't understand  
what love can do  
it's the greatest gift of all  
and the girl's gonna throw it all away _

April stood just outside of the locker room, almost unable to breathe now... Amy was living with him? She never mentioned she was living with him! If there was noting going on, why hadn't she just said something about it? What the hell? Her poor head started spinning. This couldn't be true, it wasn't, it wasn't real... She started fanning her face, trying not to start hyperventilating. Fresh tears erupted, and she started to jump back and forth on her feet. Grabbing at the wall, her bag slipped from her shoulder with a thud as she now leaned against the door frame for support. It was too much. It was all too much. He was living with Amy now? Had he moved on that fast? Everything she had read, it must have been a lie! One more lie, just like everything else he had been feeding her ever since this whole thing started. She trusted him... gave herself to him... loved him beyond reason. It was all for nothing, and she was the fool.

"AJ? AJ!"

All she heard was her name, and then she blacked out. She never even felt it when she hit the ground.

Nick was alarmed to say the least, watching as she collapsed in the hall like that. He held her in his lap, rubbing a soothing hand across her head and over her arm, trying to get her to wake up.

"AJ, sweets, come on now... come on back." He fanned her face and Amy handed him a cool cloth to press along her forehead. His efforts were soon rewarded as her eyes gradually fluttered open. "Atta girl!"

By now Kofi and Eve had shown up, as Randy stood in the background, getting angrier by the second. Amy had a sinking feeling she'd over heard them talking, and knew she was staying with Phil. She watched AJ wrap her small hand around Nick's arm, clinging to him as he tried to console her. She'd obviously been crying, and the girl was refusing to look at her. Glancing over to Randy, she felt it best not to say a word.

"My god, is she okay?" Eve asked, thinking the worst.

"Yeah," Nick nodded, "AJ honey, you fainted... it's going to be all right, come on and I'll help you up."

April acknowledged him, and did her best to stand on her own as he hoisted her up against his strong frame.

"Give her some air." He sternly demanded, noticing how close the others had gotten. "_I've got her_."

"April sweetie, what happened?" Eve took her hand in hers and rubbed them. The poor thing was so cold.

April's eyes immediately fell to Amy, who shamefully ducked further into the background. Now Amy knew she had over heard them talking. "I, I just got overwhelmed with everything, that, that's all. I think I need to go lie down." Turning to Nick, who was still holding her, she offered a weak smile. "Could you, I mean, would you please take me back to my hotel and stay with me?"

"Uh, of course I will doll." His wintry blue eyes couldn't hide his obvious bewilderment as to why she would ask him to do that, but he wasn't about to turn her down, either. The woman was hanging onto him as if she would die if she let go. God, it felt so damned good. The wheels in his head started to turn fast and furious now. Here was his opportunity to take her from Punk for good. He'd heard about what that idiot had done. April was prime for the picking, and he was ready to reap the rewards of his patience and Punk's stupidity.

"April, are you sure you want that?" Amy asked, instantly alarmed.

AJ shot her a look that made her wither on the spot.

"I'm quite sure, thank you. I don't need your help anymore. Thanks for nothing." She turned her attention to Nick. "Let's go, please?"

"You got it babe."

_And people will tell you  
you got to throw it all away  
but you've got to see that there could  
be a love so strong  
you'd never have to find your way home _

AJ unlocked the door and Nick followed her inside, closing the door behind him. She stumbled over to her bed and flopped down, exhausted. She didn't even bother removing her jacket or shoes.

"Can I get you anything? Anything at all?" He asked her, still worried about her state of mind.

Rolling over, she gave him a look that almost made him cry for her. She was so broken and hurt. He had no idea what else had happened to destroy her this bad, but he wasn't going to deny her what she needed. Her beautiful, big brown eyes flickered with hurt and pain, and to him, it looked like sleep had been alluding her far too long. He stepped over to the bed and sat beside her.

"I am so sorry, AJ, you don't deserve this." Reaching over, he gently swept some of her hair out of her eyes.

In a weak voice, she answered him. "Thank you."

"That's better, now I can see those pretty little pools of hazelnut. Now... please, tell me what I can do to make you smile again. You should only ever smile, AJ."

"Will you hold me? Lie down with me and just hold me, please?"

Toeing off his shoes, he slipped down beside her, circling his big arms around her tiny frame, and he pulled her up close to his chest. She nuzzled into his neck, hiding her face from him as she cried. All he could do was let her as he ran his hand through her soft hair every few seconds. Fuck Phil, he thought. He was a fool...

* * *

Randy arrived at his room not too long after ward, and once he'd settled in, started to scroll through his phone. He was going to make a call to a certain Straight Edge Idiot.

"Hey, you're a fucking asshole, you know that, right?"

"Nice to talk to you too, Randall."

"This isn't a social call, Punk. I'm calling to gloat. You've finally blown it for good this time. At least I really hope so." His voice was full of venom, and he seemingly enjoyed every moment of this.

Phil frowned, his skin instantly prickling."What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you don't know!" Randy chuckled menacingly. He was going to love this. "I knew Amy wouldn't call you to tell you."

He was getting antsy now, and coursed one hand through his hair nervously. "Stop being a prick and just tell me what the fuck you're talking about, or I'm hanging up." He knew he could just call Amy and get the answers.

"I'm not the only one who knows Amy's shacked up with you again."

Phil's heart almost stopped. "Pardon me?"

"I guess April overheard Amy telling me she was staying with you now. I was thinking how bad it would be for AJ to find that out, after everything else you've put her through. She actually fainted when she heard us."

"No... is she all right?" His voice was laced with concern as he waited for Randy's response. "Come on, man!"

"Of course she's okay, she had friends here that genuinely care about her, unlike yourself. Oh, and that's not even the best part..."

"Get to the fucking point, Orton." His worry turned to impatience. "Tell me what you know."

"Punk, I'm getting so much satisfaction out of this, you have no idea!"

"Randy..."

"She's going to be fine, Punk, Nick took her back to her hotel room... at her request, to STAY with her. She's in great hands, thanks to you."

_well he needs her  
and she needs him too  
they don't understand  
what love can do  
it's the greatest gift of all _

_don't throw it all away_

* * *

**The song is Real World - Throwin' It All Away It's on You Tube and really nice. :)**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I'm not everyone's favorite, but I do try, lol. If you have any problems with this chapter, PM me, not White Firebird.**


	27. want to be my girlfriend?

**Hey everyone! Firebird here with the newest chapter. It makes us both so happy to see this story still going strong. We're glad you all like it as much as you do. And that's about it. Enjoy!**

* * *

Phil looked at his phone, staring at it like it had grown a set of legs and arms and was ready to run off into the night. Randy's words began to echo throughout his skull, violently bouncing around, ricochetting every which way to the point where he was now starting to get a migraine. This couldn't be...why hadn't Amy just told April that she was living with him temporarily? He could see why she wouldn't...but at the same token, it would have been best to get it out there and make sure April didn't think anything...this was all so much to take in. She actually invited Nick up to her fucking room? God, he wanted to just crawl under a rock and die right now. And Randy was loving every second of this...if he could, he'd reach through his damn phone and strangle the St. Louis native...he was starting to feel very, very sick...

"What's the matter, Punk? Cat got your tongue?", Randy taunted from the other side of the phone. "Or is the reality of what you've done finally setting into that fucking thick head of yours?"

He couldn't formulate a coherent response, the wind taken completely out of his sails. Ending the call abruptly and dropping his phone on the floor, he stumbled up the steps to his room in a haze. Was this a nightmare? Was this real life? He couldn't believe that any of this was happening.

Kicking the door to his room open and flopping face first onto his bed, he could feel a tear begin to form in his eye. He quickly blinked it away; he didn't cry. But that didn't stop him from rolling over onto his back and staring at his ceiling and muttering some choice words to himself.

"You really did it this time, Phil..."

* * *

Randy put his phone down and turned around to see Amy standing in his doorway, a look of rage in her hazelnut eyes. He couldn't help the smirk that was curling up on his lips as she stormed up to him and got in his face.

"You didn't need to do all of that, Randy, and you know it!", the fiery red head yelled at him. He didn't flinch, however. Instead, he rolled his eyes and took a step back, his hands on his hips as he tapped his foot impatiently on the floor. He liked Amy, but he didn't need a lecture from her on what he could and couldn't do. "Well!? Are you going to say anything!?"

He sighed, running his hand over his buzz cut. "It's no secret that me and Punk aren't buddies. Never have been, never will. Sure, we had a certain respect for each other, but that went right out the damn window when he left the way he did. I did what I just did there because that piece of shit needs to feel the same pain she's feeling. Frankly, I hope she exiles him from her life completely and ends up going steady with Nick. At least he won't-"

The sound of Amy's hand making contact with his cheek stopped him cold, snapping his head back. He hadn't expected that, but then again, he knew Amy was a powder keg when she was pushed, and he had done nothing _but_ push her buttons. Facing her, he chuckled as he rubbed his cheek, the imprint of her hand beginning to show. "That's you, Amy. Always running to defend him even when he's _clearly_ in the wrong. I should have known better to expect you to see the truth. You're gonna be by his side till the bitter end, aren't you?"

She shook her head, that vengeful look still in her eyes as she bit down on her lip and resisted the urge to slap the taste out of his mouth again. She needed to get out of here and back to Chicago to make sure that Phil hadn't thrown himself off of the roof of his home. But she wanted to make sure that Randy, and everyone else on the roster for that matter, got one thing crystal clear. "You can all hate him and run his name through the mud for how he left and everything else, and believe me, I don't like what he did either...but he _loves_ that girl more than anything or anyone. You don't know him like I do. He's doing so many wonderful things to make himself a better person...I can't believe you would _do_ such a thing like that, Randy."

The Apex Predator of the WWE wasted no time in firing off a response. "And I can't believe you'd move in with him knowing how everything went down and how fragile that kid's state of mind is. So if anything, you're just as much to blame as he is right now."

His words hit her, and they hit her hard. She had nothing for that. Shielding her eyes with her hair, she stepped back and turned on her heel, muttering _'Fuck you'_ under her breath to him as she exited the room and made her way to her own. She had to get back to Chicago. She needed to sort this whole crazy fucking mess out. She needed to make sure Phil was okay. And she needed to tell April the truth.

She feared it might be too late for that though...

* * *

**A few days later...**

The sounds of 'Ride Of The Valkyries" by Wagner began to echo through the room. Phil knew who that ringtone belonged to. Grabbing his phone off the table, he forced a smile and tried to sound as cheery as possible when he answered it. "Dragon!"

"Punk!", responded the man in question, Bryan Danielson, the American Dragon, aka Daniel Bryan. "How you been man?", he asked, genuinely happy to have the chance to catch up with his fellow ROH alum. It had been too long.

Phil raked a hand across his face as he leaned back into the couch, sinking further down. He thought the same thing to himself...it had been far too long since the two of them chatted. Dragon was one of the few people from the company he actually didn't mind talking to right now...he knew he was pretty much public enemy number one to most. Kofi and Eve had told him as much.

"I've been hanging", he said, looking over his shoulder at the WWE Title, which was sitting on his dining room table. "Admiring the newest piece of jewelry I've added to my huge collection", he added with a smirk and a chuckle.

"I still can't believe you walked off with the title like that...it's been nothing but pure chaos this last month and a half. From Vince firing Cena, then Vince getting fired and Hunter taking over the day to day operations...nobody knows what's up or down anymore", Bryan commented as he looked around, watching all the stage hands and members of creative run around as if they were headless chickens. It was an amusing sight to see. "Nobody even mentions you anymore", the American Dragon then suddenly blurted out.

That didn't surprise him at all. Scoffing and rolling his eyes, Phil let loose a sigh as he spoke back. "Oh well. I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it. I bet a lot of them are just pissed that I did to Vince what a lot of them only dream and wish they could do. Besides, I've heard through the grapevine that my name is a dirty one amongst the roster. It's whatever", he said, shrugging his shoulders as he shifted around on the couch.

"Yeah, it's pretty bad. Orton wants to kill you, and you're not too high on Ziggles' list either", Bryan said, not hearing Phil growl on the other end, his talk with the Apex Predator from last week still fresh in his mind. "But I'm not here to talk to you about that stuff. I wanted to come to you about something I think you'll want to hear."

Instantly, his ears pricked up and his attention was had. "What's up? You thinking of leaving too?", Phil asked, though it was only meant as a joke. When he heard the laughter on the other side, he broke out into a grin himself. "No seriously though, what's going on Dragon?"

Just as he was going to divulge the reason behind his call, Bryan caught something out of the corner of his eye, something that made him shake his head in objection. It was Nick leading AJ by the arm out into catering and sitting down with her, practically hounding her and sticking to her like glue. And she seemed to be liking it. It was a sight for sore eyes, and something he didn't want to bear witness to. He knew where his loyalties were.

Walking around the corner and out of earshot of the two of them, he sighed and got down to business. "You know I won Money In The Bank, right?", he asked the Chicago native, getting a grunt for a response. "Well, Hunter approached me and told me they wanted to give me a valet, a love interest, that kind of stuff. They want to give me something to do right now, basically."

"I guess scrawny ass vegans from the back ass woods of Washington are in this summer", Phil quipped as the two men shared a quick laugh.

"Hah, yeah, guess so. Anyway, they want to give me someone on my arm while they figure out when I'm cashing this sucker in", Bryan said, looking down at the battered blue briefcase resting at his feet. "I wanted to ask your permission for something."

"Uh...okay? Sure, go ahead. Hit me."

"I want to know if you'd be okay with me asking AJ to be my valet."

* * *

April sat in silence, poking at her food with her fork as Nick sat back down next to her with his own lunch. Ever since the bombshell that had been dropped on her in the form of finding out that Amy was living with Phil, he hadn't left her side, making sure that she was being taken care of at every turn. While she felt it was a tad bit unnecessary for him to go to such extreme lengths to make her happy, part of her kind of liked that he was doing everything he could to make sure she was always smiling. He was different from Phil in so many ways...and that's what made everything so difficult and confusing.

Nick got back up to grab himself some water, and as soon as he left, she pulled a picture out of her pocket and took a good, hard look at it. It was the last picture she had taken with Phil, a week before he left her high and dry. They were at Wrigley Field, watching his beloved Cubs beat the Cardinals in extra innings. She remembered just how happy he was being there with her, showing her why he loved going to the place. He had never smiled more than he did that day. She found herself mouthing the words he repeated over and over that day... _"I have my girl and my Cubs. What more could a punk rock kid from Chicago like me ask for? Life is good."_

She wished she could share that same sentiment. Her heart burned and broke and bled at every little reminder of him...she damn near had a heart attack when she saw Daniel wearing one of his shirts out to the ring at the most recent house show. She could remember the looks everyone gave him backstage, but the only two people who didn't look pissed were Kofi and Eve...in fact, they were both smiling. She knew why they were smiling and why Daniel wore the shirt. Their loyalties were still with him, even if the three of them all agreed that what he had done was just plain wrong. And it was, in every way imaginable.

Her eyes fell back to the picture. Part of her wanted to keep it as a reminder of the good times her and Phil shared...and there were many of them...but then the other part of her wanted her to tear the picture in half and begin the slow healing process of getting over him. She didn't get the chance to decide, however, as Nick sat back down and she quickly slid the picture back into her pocket, pretending as if nothing happened.

"How are you doing, April?", Nick asked her as he took a bite of his salad and inched closer to her. Looking to him, she offered up a weak smile and shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm okay. Nothing new to report here", she said tiredly as she kept poking at her food. When she saw him give her a look that she quickly deciphered as him becoming worried again, she shook her head. "I'm not that hungry right now, Nick. I had a big breakfast, so you don't need to go all mother hen on me."

The bleached blonde superstar gave her a knowing grin and nudged her with his shoulder. "I'm sorry, AJ. I can't help it...I was serious when I said that you should only ever smile", which she did, and she felt something in her stomach. She didn't know if it was good or bad...only Phil had ever made her feel that sensation of butterflies in her stomach...

"I know, and I really appreciate everything you've done, Nick. It means a lot to me that you care", she found herself saying. _"More than some"_, she then quietly muttered under her breath. "But you don't need to do all of this. I'm a big girl...I can handle things by myself."

Nick knew she was lying the second the words came out of her perfect little mouth. But he admired the fact that she was at least **trying** to put on a brave face through this troublesome ordeal. He just wished he could get his hands on that bastard Phil...he'd **kill** him for doing what he did to her. He knew he wasn't alone, that most of the people wanted to wring his god damn neck for what he did, but he wanted to make sure he got the first few licks in. Phil was persona non grata in his eyes.

He went to respond to her, but out of the corner of his eye he could see none other than Daniel Bryan walking in their direction. He raised a brow in suspicion; he knew that the man formerly known as the American Dragon was good friends with Phil from their days coming up together on the independent circuit, and thusly, probably kept a line of communication open with the traitor. He was on somewhat high alert when he approached the table, but AJ didn't seem to notice.

"Hey Daniel", she greeted him with a smile while he did the same. She didn't even think to ask herself why one of Phil's good friends was here talking to her. Perhaps it was the fact that someone other than Eve, Kofi or Nick was talking to her. Everyone kind of kept their distance from her out of respect for her ever changing emotions. But here he was, talking to her. She needed something like this. "What brings you to these neck of the woods?"

"Hey AJ, hello Nick", Bryan greeted her as he stood over them, placing his briefcase down and folding his hands together. A grin crept across his lips. "And please, you can call me Bryan or Dragon. You don't need to call me by my stage name. I feel like a stripper when people do that", he said, getting a chuckle out of her while Nick looked unimpressed and slightly annoyed that his alone time with her was being cut short. "I actually came over here to ask you something", he said, turning to Nick. "It's kind of important...do you mind if I borrow AJ? I won't be long."

Shaking his head, Nick was dead set on putting his foot down. "Sorry man, no can do. We were just finishing up lunch and then we were gonna go for a-"

April cut him off, placing her delicate little hand on his wrist. "Nick, don't worry about anything. We can do those things later. I'd like to hear what Dan..._Bryan_, has to say. I can meet you at my room in a few, okay?", she said, almost pleading with him. She liked Bryan, Daniel, _whatever_ he wanted her to call him, his friendship with Phil being a non-factor. She remembered watching many of his matches from his indy days and being wowed and amazed by them. Anything he wanted to talk about with her, she was more than okay with. She could tell that Nick didn't like leaving her alone with someone that was close to Phil, but if she said not to worry, he was going to take her word at face value.

"All right girl, I'll meet you there in a few minutes", he said, getting up and placing a quick peck on her cheek. He then left without another word, but that didn't stop him from looking over his shoulder at her to make sure there was no funny business going on.

When he was gone, April turned to face Daniel and smiled up at him, motioning for him to take a seat. "So what's up?", she asked him simply. She wasn't going to pester him with questions about Phil; she was keeping this conversation friendly, but professional. She'd go back to dealing with her CM Punk problems when she had some alone time. "What'd you want to ask me?"

Bryan flashed her a smile as he lifted his beaten up Money In The Bank briefcase and set it on the table, not seeing the glimmer of hurt in her eyes as she looked at the logo plastered on it. She would forever **hate** that pay per view..."As you know, I won the SmackDown Money In The Bank ladder match...but like every other winner of this sucker, they don't know what to do with me yet", he said, referencing Hunter and the other members of creative. "However, Hunter came to me with an idea."

"Oh? What would that be?", April asked him. She figured he was here to ask for some advice on whatever it was he was going to say, though why he would ask her for her opinion or advice on something was a bit baffling to her. Of all the people there was to ask, he came to her? It was odd, to say the least.

"They want to give me a valet, a love interest, you know, that sort of deal. Hunter told me it'll be until they want to pull the trigger on me cashing in...who knows, maybe it'll go for longer than that. I don't know."

Now she was really confused. Was he asking her which Diva he should pick? Why would he ask her something like that? "Okay...not to sound rude, dude, but is there a point to any of this?", she asked, biting down on her lip to make sure any bitterness in her tone of voice was kicked to the curb.

"Yeah, actually, I was wondering if you'd be interested in being my girlfriend."

* * *

Amy kicked the door open to Phil's home and stepped inside, dragging her suitcase behind her as she looked up and saw him outside, on the balcony that overlooked part of downtown. In the short amount of time that she had been living there, she knew that when he was out there, it was because he was doing some heavy thinking and heavy soul searching. She knew what it was about.

Making her way over to the door, she slid it open as quietly as she could, and then tiptoed out onto the balcony, standing next to him, the two of them looking up at the lights of the city. Nothing was said for more than a few minutes, as they observed the stars that dotted the black skies, while listening to the oddly peaceful sounds of the streets. This was calming to him, and she was starting to find it that way too. So they remained like this, enjoying the silence, watching car after car zip by on the busy streets of downtown Chicago, the symphony of horns and sirens putting them at ease. It was as if there weren't any problems that needed to be addressed.

"I've lost her for good, haven't I."

Amy whirled her head around to face him, her gaze snapping onto his face as he stood there, gripping the bannister with all of his might._ 'Oh Phil...'_, she thought to herself, after seeing how absolutely crushed he looked. He must've been out here for a while, the way his shoulders were slumped and his hands loosely hung over the railing. He looked like he needed to go take a long nap and forget about everything for a few hours. But that wasn't him...he'd stay up all night and beat himself up over this if he felt it was necessary.

"No, I don't think so", she said quietly, knowing that he wasn't fully believing the words that she had just spoken. She was half expecting him to lash out at her for not mentioning the whole living with him situation to April, but she could tell he didn't have the energy for such an argument...and that he was blaming himself for this as much as she blamed herself. "Listen Phil...this is on _me._ I kind of forced my way into living here with you. You could have kicked me out and told me to piss off, but you didn't...all you're guilty of is being a good friend."

"I'm guilty of a lot more than _that_, Amy, and you fucking _know_ that", he bitterly muttered as he ran a hand through his hair. "She's probably lying on her bed, asking that bleached blonde douche to hold her and not let her go...and it's **my** fault. Everything we built together is dead...I bet she thinks that what I wrote in her diary was nothing but dirty lies..."

Amy couldn't stand here and let him kill himself over this any longer. She placed a hand on his wrist, willing him to look her in the eye. If he didn't believe her words before, he would now."Phil, _she loves you._ What you two have built together over the years is unheard of. You two have been through so much, but you kept coming back together...for Christ's sake Phil, you two went _thirteen years_ without seeing each other...and you found your way back to her, and her you. That doesn't _happen_ in life. What you two have done is flip the bird to every conventional rule there is about love...you're meant to be together, **no matter what.**"

Phil went to say something but she wasn't finished yet. She needed to make her point known. "So you left to figure yourself out and become a better person for her and for yourself. Did you go about it wrong? Absolutely, and you can't deny that. But you left because _you love her._ You know that old saying? About how if you love someone, then set them free, and if they come back, then it was meant to be? **You're living it.**"

His eyes snapped to her again, his lips pursed tightly as he let her words sink in. Was everything she was saying true? Or was she just saying that shit to make him feel better? It all sounded so real, so genuine and honest...she had only scratched the surface when it came to the complicated web that he and April had woven, yet he felt like Amy knew all there was about them. That feeling of sickness began to creep into the pit of his stomach again, and he knew he needed to at least try and sleep it off some. It was all so surreal...

She let him walk by without saying a word, but before he went to retreat inside, she felt herself being pulled into his embrace, her head pressed against his toned and inked chest, his hand running through her fiery red tresses. Her heart went out to him, it really did. It went out to both of them. They were hurting in their own ways and seemed lost without each other, and it pained her to know that she had a hand in driving that wedge further between the two star crossed lovers. She had to find a way to fix it.

Watching Phil walk back into the house and up the steps to his room, Amy fished her phone out of her pocket and dialed a familiar number. She hoped the other line picked up...damn, voicemail. She should have expected that. Oh well...here went nothing.

"Hey April...it's me, Amy...I need to get something off of my chest..."

* * *

Nick watched as the phone buzzed and vibrated as it rang. He saw it light up with a notification of a new voicemail. Glancing over to look at April's sleeping form, he figured there was no harm in him seeing who it was from...she was asleep. She'd be none the wiser...

The second he heard Amy's voice, he gritted his teeth in anger and gripped the phone tightly in his hand. He couldn't let April hear Phil's little sidekick's damning words. She was _sorry_ for everything? She still _believed_ in April and Phil? She wanted to talk _as soon as possible?_ No, it wasn't happening. He_ couldn't_ let it happen. Between this and Bryan asking her to be his valet (which irritated him to no end when she happily accepted), he was getting hit with reminders of that tattooed asshole at every corner. But he was determined. He was close...oh so close to getting April to fall for him, and making that shitbag from Chicago a distant memory in her mind. He couldn't let his hard work and patience go to waste...

"April's mine now, and only mine...you screwed up royally, Phil, and now the girl of your dreams is going to be going steady with me...she's mine...not yours anymore...only mine..."

He deleted the message and returned to April's side, lying down next to her, wrapping his large arms around her waist and pulling her into him. But what he heard next made his blood boil to no end.

"Phil..."

* * *

**And that's that! Hope you all liked it. Foxie's up next. Lates!**


	28. passion

**Red Foxie back again! I know... why is_ she_ here? Well, I'm back with the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it, I had fun writing this one. ;)**

* * *

Passion...

April woke feeling the warmth of someone's body closely nestled against the back of hers, spooning her, with his arms wrapped tightly around her.

_Nick_...

Everything came flooding back in an instant. A quick inventory told her they were both still lying on top of the duvet, and both still fully clothed. Soft, hot puffs of air lightly tickled at the back of her neck. He was still asleep.

Part of her wished Phil was the one holding her like this, keeping her warm and making her feel safe. She shifted a little under his body and sighed. It would serve him right, she thought, if he knew where she was, what she was doing, and who she was doing it with. She knew it would drive him insane with jealousy... at that moment, a thought occurred to her. Here was Nick, more than willing to stand in and be there for her, why shouldn't she just go ahead and use it? He obviously cared about her enough to have been by her side for weeks now. It would do Phil good to know that he had been her rock. Phil would see what he was missing, and she would make him sorry for this secret sabbatical without her. He would sorely regret letting his ex-girlfriend move in with him, too.

Letting go of a sigh, and coursed her small hand over Nick's naked arm... she was so used to seeing all of Phil's beautiful tattoos, and it felt strange not to be able to trace her little fingers along the intricate lines swirling about his skin. She missed him, but he needed to learn a lesson, and she was going to be one tough teacher.

* * *

"So," Bryan started to say as he laced up his boots, "are you sure you really know what you're doing AJ? I mean, this is Nick we're talking about here. I think it's a mistake to be spending so much time with him."

She leaned against the wall listening to Bryan's objections to her current choice of arm candy. They were on in fifteen minutes, and she had already put her plan into motion. "Yes I do, and _you_, Mister Danielson, are going to keep your big mouth shut." She told him, poking her skinny little finger into his shoulder. "Not _one word_ to Phil or Nick about what I'm doing, you _promised_."

He rolled his eyes and snorted his discomfort with the whole situation. He hated to be snared into this silly game of hers, but how else could he keep tabs on her for Punk if he had refused to agree to her terms? "I told you before April, Punk still cares about you, why the hell would you go ahead and lead Ziggles on is beyond me. Oh, and don't you worry your pretty little head, I have _no_ plans to tell Punk you've taken up residence on Ziggy's arm. He'll find that out on his own soon enough, if he hasn't figured it out already. I still think this game you're playing is dangerous."

"I hope he has figured it out. Too bad. I guess Amy's gonna have to keep him warm at night." She replied, abject contempt dripping from every syllable. She had decided to stop acting like a sacred little girl and take the bull by the horns, not caring if she was gored in the process.

Bryan knew she was still smarting, but this thing she was doing, stringing Nick along to spite Punk, that could only end up in a disaster of monumental proportions. Using one man to get under another man's skin was just... crazy.

"So you want me to ask Punk to meet me after the show outside the arena, then invite him to, uh..." he paused to look at the name of the restaurant she'd chosen, "to this place? He isn't going to agree to that, AJ!" Bryan protested, trying his very best to impart to her what a childish, stupid game she was playing.

"Yes, yes he will... he hasn't seen you in a while, if it helps, ask Eve and Kofi along too. I know he would love to see them."

Bryan looked down at the address again, his bushy brows scrunched into an accordion and his usually jovial face twisted into an uneasy scowl. He scratched at his beard and his eyes caught April's. "You're going to be there with Nick, aren't you?"

"What if I am?"

"Okay, I'm only gonna say this once, then it's all yours to wreck. That man loves you AJ. I know what he did was cruel, and stupid, and a whole lot of other things I can't think of right now... but sweetie," he touched her arm and smiled at her, "Phil does not react well to being fucked around, just so you know."

Her eyes widened at him, and she snorted. "OH, and I should? He deserves it, Bryan. He does. I want him to feel every bit of pain I'm feeling! I want to see the hurt in his eyes, and want to see him cry for fucking once!" She was screaming at Bryan by the time she was done, her poor heart racing uncontrollably beneath her ribs, she couldn't even get a breath.

"AJ, darlin', look at yourself. You, your shaking." He closed his arms around her and hugged her close. "Now you listen to me, because I'd never steer you wrong. I'll ask Punk to come with me to the restaurant. I will... but I'm only doing it because I'm hoping you'll both realize how much you need one another when you lay eyes on each other. Got it?"

She sniffled a few times and slipped out of his embrace, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Okay... thanks Bryan. I appreciate you helping me out."

"Hey, I'm trying to help you _both_ out. I can't stand to see you cry, kiddo, and I hate seeing him so god damned broken. You two are so bull headed!"

April actually enjoyed working Bryan in the ring, he was hilarious. She fed off of it. It was getting difficult at one point to keep a straight face as he went off listing all of his attributes and every little wonderful thing about himself. This was the first time in a while she was happy at work since Phil unceremoniously dumped her. She honestly felt half normal again in her work, and she reveled in it. Bryan made it so easy.

* * *

After her shower, she'd promised to meet up with Nick at the hotel and head out to the restaurant where she knew Bryan and Punk would already be. She took her time, straightening her hair, putting on make-up, and finding the slinkiest little red dress she could squirm her tight little body into. After adding a few accessories, skull earrings, studded belt, and a few dozen little plastic wrist bands, she was done. April took one last look in the mirror, more than satisfied with who she saw looking back at her. This was the new April... the confident April... the tigress. She was the one who didn't need a man to define her, she was April, re-born. Well, she needed a man to add to the mystique and torture her former lover, but that was about it. She admired the semi-gothic look she adopted for this evening, knowing full well she was about to turn every head this night. Especially his...

* * *

"Holy hell cats! Babe!"

Nick's baby blues almost popped out of his eye sockets. He had never seen April looking so, so... hot. She was a vision in black, blood red and shadowy make-up that oozed the sensuality of a siren.

"You like?" She asked him, and did a little twirl to model her new look. "I wanted to try something totally new."

_Punk's a fucking idiot_... His eyes raked all over her bewitching, petite form and he licked at his lips appreciatively. "Uh, you knocked it out of the park, babe. What can I say except _rawr._.."

The next thing she knew, Nick had grabbed her up in his arms and pulled her close, inhaling the soothing scent of vanilla into his head, intoxicating himself. A low growl emerged from his throat as he took her mouth in his with a hunger AJ had not felt from him ever... she was admittedly startled, but soon found herself melting into his hard muscled frame, and eagerly kissing her blonde headed warrior right back.

Her instincts on this outfit had been right so far, now all it had to do was pass the final test. The Punk test. If this didn't stir that dark haired, tattooed bastard, she didn't know what would.

* * *

"So, honestly now, how's the WWE been treating you man?" Phil asked, and took a sip of his water.

"Well, I'm really loving the push I'm getting, for sure. That, and AJ..." He noticed right away the distant look in the eyes of the Chicago native at the mention of her name. "Sorry man."

"Hey, it's all right, tell me what's happening." He urged. He didn't want his friend to think that her name was a dirty word. He would have to get used to it sooner or later, Bryan was working closely with her day to day now. "Please, go on. I'm good, okay?"

"Only if you're sure. I can talk about something else, you know."

"Of course I am." Phil insisted. "I want to hear about the great work you and April are doing. I, I need to hear it, actually."

"Okay..." His eyes lit up and he grinned like a cat eating a canary. "Well, she's been fantastic! Thank you for not being weirded out when I asked to have her as my valet, because its working out so well it may continue past Wrestle Mania, even!"

"I'm happy to hear it man. You deserve to have some of the lime light, it's way past due, my friend." He admitted, and playfully slapped his buddy in the arm. "You milk this for a much as you can get from it. We all know how fickle Vincent van fucking Gogh is."

"I completely intend to, good Sir." He smiled, thinking of how great it had been so far. It was finally happening for him, and he was so happy.

The two men continued to talk about their careers, old times, wrestling in general, and managed to steer completely clear of any AJ talk after the initial comments. Punk could not have been more grateful. As much as he knew she'd be a topic of interest from time to time, it was still difficult. Surprisingly, he had to admit he was actually having a great time for the first time in a long while. It felt really god damned good, too. Everything was going very well, until Bryan's eyes averted toward the door and his demeanor changed. Looking over his shoulder, he could plainly see why.

April and Nick arrived hand in hand, and when they were being led to their table, she purposely caught Punk's stunned eyes. She could see him glaring at her, his fists tightening into a ball when Nick's hand slid from her hip to her ass. Score one for me, she thought, as Nick pulled out her chair for her. This was going to be epic...

* * *

Punk deeply regretted going to see Bryan outside the arena this night. He fully expected some of the talent to fire off a dirty look or two, but what he witnessed at the eatery they both went to, however, almost did him in. Fear knotted his stomach, and an unforgiving wave of vertigo swept over him as he slowly stumbled to his knees into his hotel room. She just laid the biggest, sloppiest kiss he'd ever seen on the Show Off, and she did it all the while never taking her vengeful brown eyes from his heart broken gaze. Pretending not to give a sweet fuck was one of the hardest things he ever had to fake, sorely testing his acting ability to the nth degree. He grabbed a bread stick and started to munch on it, steering their conversation to the hockey play offs, of all completely asinine things. It was the best he could do in the heat of the moment. He never let her see him sweat after her first strike, and she wouldn't again. He would do all his crying alone.

He sat on his haunches on the floor, tugging his hands over his distraught face and through his hair, trying to make sense of how he could have failed so god damned thoroughly where she was concerned. Randy was right. He fucked up monumentally. He deserved everything that he had coming to him, and a hell of a lot more. There was no way that woman was going to come back to him, no way on earth! He just fed her to the wolves... one in particular that he wanted to rip the throat out of, for sure. He had to make her think he didn't give a damn now. That was it, the gloves were off. If she wanted to trade spit with Zig Zag, it was none of his business. The trouble was that he didn't think he would be able to survive it. How, how could he breathe knowing Nick fucking Nemeth was touching her, tasting her, oh god... between her legs...

Slamming his fists to the floor he screamed out loud, trying his best to release all the passion filled anger he had coursing through every vein in his trembling body. He didn't know if he was more pissed off or heart broken. He had to get it together, and fast. There was no other alternative but to stand tall and pretend like she hadn't effected him. That was all he could do. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction. He could play fucking games too.

* * *

Nick and April barely made it into the hotel room before their clothes started falling from their bodies. She was so angry that Phil managed to keep his cool as he watched her kissing and groping another man. How _dare_ he not be effected? How dare he not even break a sweat, or care? She would show him this time... she would get under his skin one way or another...

Nick's hot, wet mouth never let up for air as he carefully slipped his finger tips underneath the straps of her slinky dress, pushing them down her shoulders. His hands gently ghosted along her slender arms up and down as the two stumbled closer to the bed. She snaked her hands up under his shirt and peeled it up over his head, then stopped to admire the hardness of his chest and shoulders. He was, as he said, _perfection_. Just not her idea of perfection. He may have had the body of a chiseled god, but, he wasn't Punk.

Chewing at her bottom lip, she could feel the heat building in the pit of her gut, and spreading mercilessly out to every appendage. His hands unzipped her back, and within a moment her hot little red number had pooled at her feet. When he grabbed her buttocks and effortlessly picked her up, she knew she was past the point of no return. She knew she was using him as means to an end, but he didn't have to know that. _Oh Punk._..

She was panting now, and naked beneath him as he nibbled and nipped his way from one breast to the other, gently molding them in his eager hands. April writhed beneath his magnificent from, trying to forget who she was with. In the midst of her frenzied attempt to have her revenge, she gasped out his name...

"Phillip..."

_Passion..._


	29. the return

**Well everyone...Firebird here with the new chapter, and boy, is it a doozy. Much like Money In The Bank and everything that happened there, this chapter too has a lot going on and I made sure, absolutely sure, that everything was perfect and presentable to everyone, and hopefully it shows when you all read it. Once more, I cannot thank you all enough for taking the time to read and review and favorite this story. It means the world to me and Foxie, and we really do appreciate everything. Like I said, it's only going to get better from here on out. This isn't the end...this is just the beginning. Everything from here will lead to what everyone I'm sure affectionately remembers as 'The Summer of AJ'. It's just our little twist on it. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and the ride it will take you on. I know I had a lot of fun writing it. And the songs used...well, everyone should know those songs, right? ;)**

* * *

Nick stopped himself short of fully completing the deed, his conquest having been cut short...did she really say that fucking asshole's name when he was about to take her and make her his own? He _had_ to have been dreaming that. His jeans were past his hips, halfway down his legs, his erection in plain sight as he watched her horrified eyes dart back and forth, all over the place, anywhere except on him. This was unbelievable.

"April...what did you say?", he asked her as calmly and evenly as he could without blowing up.

She fumbled around with her words, scared to death of what he was going to do. This was the second time she could remember doing this, uttering Phil's name while in Nick's presence...except this time, here she was, naked and underneath him, waiting for him to take her so she could prove a point to the straight edged dark knight of her dreams...and she was saying Phil's name like it was nothing. She wanted to crawl under a rock and stay there if she could.

"April", Nick said stiffly. He had already begun the process of re-dressing himself, tightening his belt, his shirt in his hand as he got up off the bed and watched as she scrambled to cover herself with the sheets. "What did you say?", he asked again, anger rising in his voice.

"I..I'm sorry, Nick...it..it slipped...", she replied weakly as she made eye contact with him, a tear glimmering in her eye as Nick shook his head in disgust and muttered something under his breath to himself. She watched as he threw his shirt back on and began to back up toward the door. "Nick...please don't...", she whispered, practically begging him to not abandon her.

Shaking his head some more, Nick sighed and opened the door, stopping only to give a parting message to her. "Listen, April...I think I'm gonna head on out, it's getting pretty late. Oh, and uh, don't call me. I'll call you."

Watching as Nick closed the door behind him, April began to cry, burying her head in her hands as she cursed Phil's existence. She tried making her point and now it had blown up in her face, just like Bryan had warned her it would, because she couldn't stop thinking about the man...god damn it, she thought, she was more madly in love with him than ever before, if that was even possible, or if it even made sense...and the worst part of it all was that Phil didn't even care. He made that abundantly clear when he paid her no mind to her little stunt with Nick earlier. This was all too much for her to take.

Blindly reaching across her body to the desk next to the bed, she grabbed her phone and began to dial a familiar number. One call would be all it would take...and everything, she hoped and prayed, would be better...

* * *

11 - 20 - 11

2:18 PM

"I can't believe you're actually doing this..."

"You didn't have to come along, you know."

"_You_ forced _me_ to come here, asshole. Remember that?"

"Just shut up. This needs to be done. I need answers."

"No, what you _need_ is therapy and sedatives."

Phil glared at Colt as the two of them made their way up the set of steps to the modest looking home located in the suburbs of downtown Union City. The idea for this had came one night, a few days after the incident at the restaurant, to him as he was sitting at home, talking with Amy about what it was like having to babysit eight year old AJ way back when. He told her about how she was suddenly just ripped from him without so much as a warning...and it got him thinking. It made him angry. Angrier than he had been that night. How could her mother just take April away like that? A large part of him wanted to place the blame for this whole crazy, fucked up mess on her. This wasn't a friendly visit to catch up and reminisce...he was looking for blood. He was doing his best to try and not care about AJ's actions...but this, this couldn't be ignored.

"Phil, come on man, we shouldn't be doing this...this is her mother, for fuck's sake..."

"I don't care if she's the goddamn President or the next coming of Mother Theresa...she tore us apart without a care in the world, and I'm going to find out why, through hell or high water. You can wait in the car if you fucking want to, Colt, I won't hold it against you."

Colt stopped and gave serious thought to the idea for a moment, before reluctantly deciding against it, following Phil to the front door, where he knocked on it with force and determination. Nothing. So he knocked again, three times, like he wanted to break it off it's hinges. Muffled voices could be heard, along with the shuffling of feet in their direction, and Colt could have swore he heard...nah, he was imagining it. Soon enough, the door swung open to reveal Mrs. Mendez, looking older, but not that much older, than she had when they had last seen her fifteen years ago. Age had obviously been kind to the elder Puerto Rican woman. Anyone with half a brain could see where April had gotten her looks.

"Hello? Can I help you, young men?", she asked as she stood in the doorway, her glasses pushed up onto her forehead as she got a good look at them. She didn't quite recognize the slightly shorter one with the frizzy brown hair and the muscular build...but the other one, with the tattoos all over his arms and hands, his long, dark brown hair slicked back and wearing a beard that looked like it hadn't been taken care of in months...there was something about him she couldn't quite place her finger on. He looked like someone she used to know...

Phil's eyes narrowed and his lips pursed together in a thin, straight line. "You don't recognize me, do you", he stated through gritted teeth. When she didn't immediately respond, he rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath about how it was a damn shame. "I'm not surprised that you don't. After all, the last time you saw me, I was a scrawny punk rock kid from Chicago. But that was fifteen years ago...", he said, putting emphasis on the years mentioned, hoping to jog her memory.

It was as if a lightbulb went off in Mrs. Mendez's head. "I used to live in Chicago a long time ago...", she said, getting a better look at the tattoos adorning the man's arms. She knew where she had seen them before. "_Phillip?_", she gasped, the realization settling in. "_Colt?_"

Colt meekly waved while Phil stood there, his hands balled up into fists and breathing fire. Murder was on his mind and all he saw was red right now. This woman was responsible for causing so much pain between himself and her daughter. She's what started the whole thing. So many thoughts were racing through Phil's mind as he glared at the older woman, he didn't know what to say. A large part of him wanted to rip her a new asshole and make her feel how he did when April was taken from him. But he settled for one simple, yet loaded question.

"Why?"

Mrs. Mendez shook her head and took a step back, ready to retreat into her home and avoid this confrontation with the man who had shattered her daughter's heart. "You have a lot of nerve showing up here like this, especially after what you did to April", the elder woman whispered harshly. She went to slam the door shut in their faces and figured she'd be done with it, but when she saw Phil's hand stop the door from doing so, forcing his way into her home, she knew she had a big issue on her hands.

As Colt followed his psychotic best friend into the house, he saw something...rather, someone, out of the corner of his eye, scurrying up the steps, hearing a door close. Was AJ _actually here?_ This whole thing had the potential to go from bad to worse if she really was and Phil saw her...he had to do something to quell the raging fire that was about to spread. He knew all about what AJ had done that night with Nick, how she had just so openly flaunted her bleached blonde headed piece of rebound ass in front of Phil's face without a care about his feelings and how it would kill him on the inside...if Phil caught wind of her potentially being here, all bets would be off.

It'd be **war.**

"I've got nerve? You hear this, Colt? The lady says I have nerve", Phil mockingly stated as he ventured further into the house, hot on Mrs. Mendez's trail. "I guess your precious little girl failed to mention what _she_ just did to _me_", he stated venomously, stopping in the kitchen as the elder Mendez turned on her heel to face the two men. "And I'm not the one with the nerve around here."

"Oh, really, Phillip? Or do you want me to call you Punk? Because quite frankly, that's all you are and ever will be", Mrs. Mendez shot back, willing to go tit-for-tat with him if she needed to. She couldn't believe the gall of this man, how abrasive and brash he was. She couldn't ever remember him being like this when he was a teenager. April had told her how much he had changed, but still... "I suggest you and your little friend here leave before I call the cops."

Colt looked to Phil and pleaded with him silently to take the advice given to them and head out. They had already gone far enough, any further and they'd be in some real deep shit. But Phil shook his head and turned back to face April's mother. This wasn't over, not by a long shot. Hell, they were just getting started.

"How could you just take her away from me like that? How could you just crush your own daughter's hopes and dreams the way you did? You had a perfectly fucking fine life back in Chicago! You took her away from me for thirteen years!", he yelled, his hands shaking with rage as he took another step forward, shrugging Colt's hand off of his shoulder. "Thirteen years god damn you! Do you have any idea at all what that did to me and her?!"

Mrs. Mendez stopped in the middle of the kitchen and turned to face the two Chicago born grapplers. Her face showed no emotion and her body was stiff. Closing her eyes and hanging her head low, she brought it back up to look Phil dead in the eye, a distant look in her eyes as she blinked. "What are you trying to say, Phillip?", she asked cooly.

"I'm not _trying_ to say anything. What I **am** saying is that what's happened between me and your daughter...every single thing...it's all on **you.**"

Something looked off in Mrs. Mendez's eyes, Colt knew it right away just by glancing at her. Phil didn't seem to notice or care, or both perhaps, he was just focussed on bringing the poor woman to her knees if he could. She remained silent as Phil began to rip into her again.

"What was your reasoning behind leaving Chicago, huh? What, did you think you were too good for my hometown? Didn't want your baby girl growing up seeing things she probably saw here living in New Jersey? What was it? Tell me, what the fuck was your excuse for dragging your daughter out of a life she was finally beginning to enjoy? **TELL ME!**", he finally said, finishing his rant, his breathing heavy. Colt could hear his best friend's heart thumping against his ribs like a drum, the adrenaline coursing through his veins, his face flushed red with damn near fifteen years of built up anger. Colt sincerely hoped that if AJ was here, she didn't hear all of this...this was the kind of argument that could traumatize someone for life.

The elder woman took a deep breath and exhaled, pulling her glasses back down to cover her eyes. Brushing some of her wavy brown hair out of the way, she took a seat down at the kitchen table, her hand on her cheek as she appeared to be deep in thought, about what, they didn't know. After a few minutes of uneasy silence, she looked up to them and motioned for them to join her at the table, which they did, Colt sitting at the end and Phil sitting directly across from her. His moss colored eyes were filled with a thousand fires as he waited for her to say something, anything. He just wanted another excuse to scream at her again.

"Do you really want to know why I took April out of Chicago and moved her here?", she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. Colt closed his eyes and began to brace himself for yet another shit storm that was surely on the immediate horizon. Phil's eyes narrowed. Finally, he thought to himself, he was getting what he came here for. Answers. He nodded his head expectantly, his fingers beginning to break the skin of his palms. He knew he wasn't going to like what April's mother had to say, but he was prepared for the worst. But even he wasn't expecting what she actually had to say.

"I took April out of Chicago for a variety of reasons, Phillip", she murmured, making eye contact with him and Colt, who looked like he was wishing he was anywhere but Union City at that moment. "Chief among them was the fact that I was offered a job that I absolutely could not refuse...and it required me to move here. I've been living a far more comfortable life now than I was all those years ago, and April benefited from that."

Before Phil could interrupt her, she kept going. "But that's not the only reason. I saw how my baby girl would light up whenever you would come around...you were her entire world when she was a child. You still are, even after what you did to her. At first, I thought it was adorable how she took up after you...she never liked any of her previous babysitters, so it was nice that she liked you. But then it got to be too much..."

"The fuck do you mean, _'it got to be too much'_ ?", Phil cut in harshly.

"She would never stop talking about you...always telling me how great you were, how much fun you were to hang out with...how much she loved you", she said somewhat bitterly as she took a moment to take a deep breath. "I had to do something about it. I almost didn't take that job because I didn't want to uproot April's life all over again...but once I found out that you were teaching her how to wrestle...that dirty, horrible sport that she calls a living...my mind was made for me."

Phil swallowed hard, trying his best to keep an angry look on his face. Her next words, though, were as big a blow to his heart as seeing April kissing Nick was.

"I took my daughter out of Chicago because of you."

* * *

11 - 20 - 11

5:57 PM

The two of them argued with each other for a little while longer, till neither of them had the energy or the heart to continue any further. Phil was in shambles emotionally by the time Colt dragged him out of the Mendez house, and the matriarch of the family wasn't fairing any better.

Watching them leave and slamming the door shut without having to worry about them barging back in, Mrs. Mendez slumped up against the door, drained from the argument she had just taken part in. She hadn't realized just how strongly Phil felt about her daughter, regardless of how he had broken her heart. He loved her little April to the point of absurdity. But it was over and done with. Turning around to walk up the steps to her room, she stopped cold when she saw April standing at the top of them.

Her daughter was crying. She looked like she had been for a while now. How could she have forgotten that her baby girl was in the house the entire time? If she wasn't already broken up from verbally sparring with Phillip, she certainly was now at the sight of her crying daughter.

"Is..is it..true?", April managed to choke out as she wiped away a tear with her sleeve.

"Oh baby...I'm so sorry you had to hear all of that...", Mrs. Mendez said before her daughter took off toward her room, the sound of the door slamming echoing throughout the house.

She had nobody to blame but herself.

* * *

1 - 15 - 12

3:42 PM

Phil was just starting to try and fall asleep. That very thing had been escaping him for quite some time now, and he looked worse than he had before he left the company. Where as before, the over/under on the amount of sleep he would usually get was three and a half hours, now, he was barely getting an hour's worth. The fight with April's mother was still a fresh wound to him. It consumed him, and it showed. All he wanted to do was sleep...he was going to give it a try right now.

Right as his eyes began to close, he felt something heavy crash down on his stomach, instantly snapping him awake and pissing him off all at the same time. Looking up, he saw Amy's hazelnut eyes looking back down at him as he glared at her, a look of death on his face as he then turned his attention back to the items resting on his lap.

"What the hell is this stuff?", he asked irritably.

"Those, you tool, are pens and a notebook", she responded simply. "Since you don't feel like talking to anyone about anything anymore, I figured I'd help you do something productive again."

"What are you talking about? I talk to you about everything", Phil lied through his teeth. He really didn't feel like dealing with any of this right now...

Amy scoffed and did her best to not burst out in a giggle fit. She forgot how delusional he could be sometimes. "No, you don't. You haven't spoken to anyone about that incident at AJ's house since it happened, and that was almost two months ago in November. It's January. It's a new year, for God's sake. So do me a favor, get up off your ass and do something productive."

Phil went to protest some more, but Amy, sensing that he was about to fire off a smart ass remark to her, nipped it in the bud before he could even say it. "You know I'm telling the truth, Phil. You don't speak to me, Colt, Chez, your sisters, Luke, your parents...you've put up your walls and cut us all off. So again, please, do me the favor and write in the notebook. If you won't talk about it, then at least write about it. You can't keep living like this, keeping everything bottled up inside...it's killing you, whether you want to admit it or not."

He had nothing for that. For the first time in a while, he was rendered speechless. Amy quietly slipped away while he looked at the pack of pens and the plain, black notebook she had given him to aid in his venting. What was he gonna do with this? He didn't write stuff down in a notebook, certainly not his inner most thoughts...but then he thought back to the promises he had written to April in her diary. He couldn't go back on them...he had been making such progress too, before that incident with her mother...there were so many things he could get out without actually having to talk to anyone...one thing stood out most.

He looked at the calendar on his phone and his eyes immediately fell to the 29th, the last Sunday of the month. Shaking his head, he looked to the kitchen, where he figured Amy was, and called out to her. "Amy! I have a question for you!"

"What?", she asked, walking back into the living room, hopeful that he'd already begun to take her advice.

"Where did they say the Royal Rumble was going to be this year?"

Amy's shoulders slumped and she hung her head. Of course he'd ask about something as asinine as that. Why did he care about where it was? Everyone knew he wasn't going back to the company until he felt like it...and with each day that passed, the likelihood of that happening dwindled a little bit more. It was just a dumb question of him to ask her, really.

"It's here, in Chicago. Allstate Arena. Our backyard."

The gears began to turn in Phil's head as he nodded and silently thanked her for her answer. Looking back and forth between the pens and the notebook, he ripped open the package and grabbed one of the cool blue pens and flipped open to the first page of the notebook, putting the pen to paper.

Amy watched from her spot in the kitchen as he began writing feverishly, a tiny grin spreading across her red lips. At least that would keep him occupied for the time being while she slipped out and did something that she needed to do. Digging her phone out of her pocket, she dialed a number and waited for the other line to click. When it did, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey, it's me. Is everything okay? She's here? Good. Tell her you'll be there in ten minutes. I'm leaving now. Thanks again, Dragon."

* * *

1 - 15 - 12

4:09 PM

April groaned. It had been a long time since she had set foot in Chicago, and she couldn't believe she was here right now. But she had to suck it up and try her best to put on a brave face, seeing as the Royal Rumble was going to be happening at the very same place that she had her heart ripped out last July. She had to be there for Bryan. He had cashed in his Money In The Bank (oh how she still loathed hearing or saying those words) briefcase on Big Show last month at the TLC pay per view, and he was defending his title against Show and Mark Henry in a triple threat cage match at the Rumble. She wouldn't be able to accompany him to the ring, however, seeing as she was currently 'nursing' a neck injury sustained at the hands of Show when he accidentally trucked over her and sent her away on a stretcher during a match with Bryan. Her being hurt was the beginning of Bryan's heel turn, and he was thankful to be able to do that. He relished being booed.

Thankfully though, she didn't have to wear the cumbersome neck brace they had required her to wear to sell the injury at the moment. Daniel had arrived here a couple of days ago to do media to promote the event, and he had her flown in so they could do some of the rounds together, seeing as they were practically attached at the hip now. When he told her that the Rumble was going to be here, she damn near had a heart attack...it hurt to even _think_ of Chicago. Of him. What he did to her...how he did it. She just wanted to fulfill her media obligations now, get through the Rumble in two weeks, then never come back here again.

Locating the small deli that Bryan had asked her to meet him at, she walked in and was immediately greeted by someone who she assumed was the owner...wearing one of Phil's shirts. Of course. She wanted to scream. But instead, she smiled tightly and followed the man to an open table where she was to wait for her running buddy. Grabbing her phone from her bag, she began to play around on it in silence, until she felt him sit down across from her.

"Hey, April. Thank you for coming here."

April's eyes snapped upward to find not Bryan, but Amy. A scowl formed across her face, and there was fire in her almond shaped eyes. She felt like jumping across the table and tearing the red head to pieces. But she couldn't...she wouldn't. She wasn't like that.

"What are _you_ doing here?", she asked bitterly as she shoved her phone back into her bag, her tiny little hands balling up into fists.

"Before you decide on which way to kill me, please, April, hear me out", Amy pleaded as she looked around to make sure that nobody would disturb them. When the coast was clear, she turned her attention back to April, who looked like she was ready to beat the shit out of her or cry, or both. Part of her wanted to hug the poor girl so much right now. But that would have to wait till later. "I'm gonna cut to the chase...there's nothing going on between me and Phil, I promise you that."

April didn't want to hear any of her lies. "Then why did you move in with him, huh?", she asked angrily, her body beginning to shake. "You did it like it was nothing, too! I know all about what you and him had when you were together...you just couldn't wait for me to be out of the picture to do that, could you? Did you plan this? Tell him to leave the company so you two could start a new life together!?"

Amy could tell that the poor girl was on the verge of breaking down. "Do...do you have any idea what him leaving...did to me?"

That was it, she couldn't take anymore. Sitting up and moving her chair with her, she sat down next to April and latched her arms around her frail body, holding her close as she cried into her shoulder. Amy was going to rip Phil to shit once she got back home...if he only saw how she was up close...he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he was a witness to this.

Stroking April's long, mahogany locks and letting her cry as much as she needed to, Amy rocked their bodies back and forth. "Shh...it's okay, baby girl. I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you. I'm not going anywhere, okay? You say the word and I'm there."

_'Why is she doing this?'_, April asked herself as she wriggled out of Amy's grasp and used her sleeve to wipe away the tears and her nose. She took a look at the copper headed legendary Diva and shook her head. Here was this woman, someone she grew up idolizing, trying her damnedest to make her feel better. She couldn't believe it. "If there's nothing going on between you two...then why are you living with him?", she asked quietly, almost whispering.

"I bought a place on the south side...a few blocks from his place, actually", she began to explain. "It needed...still needs, five months later, a ton of remodeling and other work done on it. So I figured,_ 'Hey, Phil lives a few blocks away from here, why not shack up with him till my place is done?'._ I didn't even think about how it would affect you...and for that, I am sorry in every imaginable way."

"So...so...nothing? You're just living with him out of convenience?"

Amy shook her head firmly, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips. "Yes I am, sweetie. That ship set sail a long, long time ago. He's like a little brother to me...we're too much alike. And besides..._he loves you._ Despite what he did, that fact hasn't changed. He's batshit crazy for you, little lady. And when he's ready to come back, he's going to make sure you know that."

The thought of him coming back gave April a glimmer of hope...but then she realized **how** he left, and **what** he left with. There was absolutely no way the higher ups would welcome him back with open arms, even if Vince was gone and Hunter was now in charge. He stole the WWE Title. Lawsuits were still being threatened. He single handedly got John and Vince fired. Most of the roster wanted to kill him on sight if he ever came back, Bryan, Eve and Kofi being the only ones besides herself that didn't harbor those feelings. There were so many things standing in his way...

"I know what you're thinking, April, and yes, it's unlikely that he'll come back soon or just be welcomed back like nothing happened...but you of all people should know that Phil doesn't care. He'll come back on his own terms, and not give a damn if everyone hates him."

She wanted to believe Amy's words, she really did. But her thoughts drifted back to that night with Nick...the heartbroken look in Phil's eyes when he saw her walk in with another man on her arm...making out with and groping him all in plain sight...the rage written on his face...she might as well have broken him that night. Then the argument he had with her mother...it was all too painful for her to think about again. So she wanted to think that he wouldn't care if he was hated when and if he returned...but she knew better.

He probably wanted nothing to do with her anymore.

* * *

1 - 22 - 12

4:30 AM

"Phil? What the fuck are you still doing up this late at night?"

He looked over his shoulder and saw Amy standing in the doorway to his bathroom, looking like an extra from the Walking Dead. No makeup, frizzy hair, heavy bags under her eyes and yawning every two seconds. He'd of laughed about it if he wasn't so deep in thought right now.

"I'm thinking about something, nothing serious. You know I don't sleep anyways."

She rolled her eyes at him and muttered something under her breath. "I already know the answer to the question I'm about to ask, but I'll ask anyways...is it something you want to talk about?"

Phil shook his head, causing Amy to curse under her breath, loud enough for him to hear. He badly wanted to be able to talk to her about what he was going to do, but he knew he had to play this close to the chest...nobody could know. Gee, where had he heard _that one_ before...

"I should have figured as much", the copper headed ex-Diva whispered, more to herself. "Okay Phil, have it your way...if you wake me up again though, I'm going to kick your ass all over this house."

Nodding, he waited until she was down the hall and back in the guest room she had basically turned into her own, hearing the door click before he went back to staring at himself in the mirror. Looking to his right, he found himself staring at a few things he hadn't laid eyes on since that fateful night last July. To his left was the WWE Championship...his ultimate achievement. The calls about returning the title had simmered down, until last week. More lawsuits were threatened because the company needed it's crown jewel for WrestleMania season. He simply laughed them off. He had other plans.

Undoing the ponytail he had his hair in, he let it fall to his shoulders and marveled at how long it had become; it was the longest he had had it since his Straight Edge Society days...distant memories of the group dissolving and being April's pro on NXT raced through his mind and then quickly disappeared. His mind then became flooded with more memories of all the times, good and bad, that he had shared with her...from babysitting her, to watching her leave, to sharing those intimate moments, to leaving her...and then he found himself thinking of his Ring Of Honor days. How it shaped him into the wrestler and man he was now...how he always wondered, when they were in New Jersey, if she was in the crowd, watching him from the shadows...

Grabbing some tin foil and the bottle of Clairol in front of him, he went to work on his hair.

An hour or so later, he finally dared to look himself in the mirror...and for the first time in a while, he liked the person that was staring back at him. Step one was complete. And he was just getting started.

* * *

1 - 22 - 12

12:30 PM

Amy woke up to silence. Padding down the steps and into the kitchen, she opened the blinds and let the sun shine through into the room, illuminating it. Yawning and stretching her limbs, she gave her head a shake and went about her business normally. That is, until she noticed a small note on the kitchen counter, addressed to her in Phil's handwriting.

Unfolding the note, she began to read it...her eyes grew as she ran back upstairs and into his room, tearing it apart. Nothing. His suitcase was gone and most of his drawers were emptied out too. She did find one thing, however, that gave her pause as she took it from its position atop the dresser and held it in her hand.

It was a Harley Quinn action figure, old and discolored a bit, but other than that, it was in fairly good shape. She examined it and, on the bottom of the figure's foot, she saw the initials scrawled into it...it belonged to April. She had given it to him, from the looks of it, a long time ago. Why had he left this behind though? What did it mean?

Sitting on the edge of his vacant bed, Amy re-read his note to her once more. She had no idea what to think of it. She had to hope he had a good reason for all of this. Dropping the note on the bed, she walked back into her own room and remained there...she needed to think about all of this.

_"Hey Ames. I'm going to get to the point here. I'm leaving for the week. The house is all yours. Don't try and contact me, I won't respond back. I need to do this for my own good. Here's hoping this crazy ass plan of mine works out. I'll see you next Sunday."_

"I'll see you next Sunday...what the hell do you mean by that, Phil? What are you up to?", she asked herself as she lay there in her bed, the Harley Quinn figure still in her hands, staring at the ceiling. And then it hit her like a sack of bricks. She looked at the calendar on her phone, at next Sunday's date, then the action figure in her hand. Her eyes widened. She couldn't believe it. She had to call Colt...call everyone, and tell them the news.

"No. Fucking. Way."

* * *

1 - 29 - 12

8:10 PM

"The level of anticipation for tonight is at an all time high, folks, as we welcome you to the twenty fifth anniversary of the Royal Rumble! On top of Daniel Bryan defending his World Heavyweight Championship inside a steel cage against not one, but two behemoths in the Big Show and Mark Henry, we have the annual Royal Rumble match...and for the second time in the history of the match, the WWE Championship will be on the line!"

April listened to Cole's commentary, the raucous Chicago crowd nearly drowning him out as she sat in Bryan's dressing room, watching him prepare for his title defense later on in the evening. She knew Chicago crowds to be crazy and insane and passionate but...there was something different about tonight. She couldn't place her finger on it. There was something in the air. Cole's next bit on commentary confirmed her suspicions.

"There are many rumors going around the WWE that tonight, there is not one, but **TWO** huge surprise entrants set to return tonight in the Royal Rumble match...can you believe it, you guys?"

"Do you have any idea who they've got returning for the Rumble tonight?", she asked Bryan, looking from the television to him as he began to apply his wrist tape. She figured he had to have some inkling of an idea as to what the higher ups were planning, seeing as he was one of their top champions now.

He grinned and shook his head. "Just because I'm the World Heavyweight Champion doesn't mean I'm privy to everything Hunter and them discuss. The only thing I've heard, really, is that these two returns are practically_ 'earth shattering'_ ", he said, using air quotations. "Besides, it's a surprise. Don't you want to be as shocked as everyone else is going to be?"

"What do you mean by that?", she asked quizzically.

"Nobody but Hunter and a select few on the creative team know what's going to happen. Everyone else has been kept in the dark about it...they're really keeping this under wraps. They want to shock the world", he said, throwing his shirt on and taking a seat next to her.

A thought suddenly crossed April's mind. A far away look developed in her mind, and she could feel the gears whirring to life and going into overdrive. "You don't think..."

Bryan placed his hand on her wrist, stopping her, shaking his head gently. He had to let her down easy. "Sweetie, I already know what you're going to say...and I don't think that's going to happen tonight, even if we're in his backyard. My answer is no."

April shook her head clear of the thought and nodded. He was right...there was no way. She heard about the new, most recent threats of lawsuits and how the company wanted to bleed him dry and all of that legal mumbo jumbo she didn't really care for. Yeah, Bryan was right on this one. He wouldn't steer her wrong, especially when it came to something as delicate as this.

"Yeah...I'm sorry. I don't know why I even thought that. I guess I gave him too much credit, huh?", she asked rhetorically and sardonically.

He could see where this was going, and decided to stop it before it got worse. "AJ, he loves you. You know he does, okay?"

She laughed bitterly at her running buddy's statement. "If he loved me as much as you, Kofi, Eve and Amy tell me he does, he would have never left in the first place."

Bryan didn't want to press the issue any further. He knew they were both hurting after her crazy little stunt at the restaurant a couple of months ago. She had taken to thinking he wanted nothing to do with her anymore, and he thought the same thing. They both couldn't have been more wrong. But he bit down on his tongue and let it slide, opting to agree with her, albeit begrudgingly.

"I guess you're right."

* * *

1 - 29 - 12

9:45 PM

April waited patiently for Bryan to return so that the two of them could watch the Rumble match along with Eve, who waited with her. The two girls were huddled around the television when Bryan entered the room, covered in sweat, but still champion, the World Title hanging over his shoulder as he walked right into a hug and a kiss on the cheek from his 'girlfriend'. She was so happy for him, so glad that they kept the title on him. He was really coming into his own as a smarmy, overbearing, egotistical heel. He would proudly declare that being vegan meant he lived better than everyone (where had she heard that before?), all while screaming **'YES! YES! YES!'** at the top of his lungs. And it was only getting started. She couldn't wait to return to television alongside him. She was a proud mama.

"Congrats on the win, champ", Eve said, giving him a hug of her own while he returned the gesture. "The fans really love chanting your new catchphrase with you."

Bryan shook his head and placed the World Title down on a chair nearby. "What, the **'yes'** chants? Oh, it's never gonna catch on, just watch", he said humbly and modestly. He then grimaced as he slowly eased into his seat. "Damn, sometimes I forget how stiff Mark can be when he's amped up. He nailed me a few times real good."

April was right by his side, sitting down next to him. "Is there anything I can do to help? Get you some ice, maybe?", she asked while he shook his head.

"Nah, I'll be fine sweetie, don't worry. Nothing a good night's sleep won't cure", he responded, smiling and winking before his eyes drifted to the television. The Royal Rumble match was starting to begin. "Well, here we go."

Getting the hint, April turned to face the television right as Justin Roberts made the formal introductions and explained the rules. A few seconds later, the music of the Miz blared throughout the arena, boos raining down on him from every direction as the Chicago faithful tore into him. _'Number one...sucks to be him'_, she thought to herself as she watched him saunter to the ring, doing his best to ignore the massive jeers. A few seconds later, Alex Riley's music hit and he was met with barely anything as far as a reaction went as he slid into the ring.

The race to become the WWE Champion had commenced. The match was on.

Very little was said between the three of them as they intently watched. They all knew the ramifications from the end result of the match would affect them and everyone else in the company, from the very top to the bottom of the barrel. One by one, superstar after superstar entered, all of them wanting the chance to become the WWE Champion.

"I still don't understand what took them so long to crown a new champion", Eve commented out loud, though more so to herself, as none other than the Hardcore Legend, Mick Foley, entered the match at number seven, the entire arena shaking, the fans chanting **"FOLEY! FOLEY!"** to their hearts content.

"You know what took them so long", Bryan commented, noticing the far away look in AJ's eyes as he said it. "What I don't get is why they didn't just use a replica this whole time...or get a new title commissioned. It's been seven months..."

"Guys?", April piped in, getting their attention as Santino scampered into the ring at number nine. "Can we not talk about this, please?"

Both of them got the hint and shut up, the silence overtaking the room again, only to be ended when Kofi's music hit and he came out at number eleven and entered the ring a house on fire, the fans cheering for him while the three of them clapped and wished him well. A few minutes later, though, they could hear very loud rumblings going on outside of the room, and Bryan went to go investigate for a moment as they listened in on the commentary.

"Ladies and gentlemen, history is about to be made! One of the surprise entrants is going to be making his return right here, right now at number fifteen!", Cole exclaimed, acting for all the world like a teenager hopped up on Red Bull and Pop Rocks.

"As good ol' JR would say, business is about to pick up, folks!", Lawler yelled as the fans began to count down from ten.

Bryan re-entered the room, a shocked expression on his face as he sat down, his jaw hanging slightly as he watched the television, the building shaking as the fans counted down the last few numbers.

"Five, four, three, two, **ONE!**"

Everything came to a stop, the competitors in the ring turning their attention to the entrance ramp, waiting on whoever the hell it was that would be returning. Suddenly, a ton of fireworks and pyro went off, and then an all too familiar sound of various horns and trumpets filled the arena...the Chicago faithful began to boo like they had never booed before.

John was back.

The three of them sat there, in stunned silence, as the leader of the Cenation, bedecked in Celtics green and white, walked out onto the entrance ramp, smiling and looking into the camera, yelling that it was great to be back. The fans kept tearing into him, and everyone in the ring stood there with wide eyes. Bryan was right, April thought to herself. Nobody knew...he wasn't kidding when he said that Hunter and a few on the creative team knew. This was mind blowing.

"John Cena is back! You heard that right, everyone! **JOHN CENA IS BACK IN THE WWE!**", Lawler screamed as the boos kept coming in every direction.

"But this begs the question, King! If Cena was the first of the two big surprises, and he's coming in at number fifteen...who on Earth is the second surprise, and when will he be entering!?", Cole questioned as John peeled his shirt off and tore down the aisle, sliding into the ring and promptly eliminating Ezekiel Jackson and Jinder Mahal in short order. The crowd was still going...she couldn't ever remember a crowd being this electric, save for maybe last July...

Another body went flying over the top rope courtesy of John. Whoever this last entrant was, she didn't think they would beat John. He was on a mission.

For the next twenty five minutes, it was more of the same. John was tearing through everyone, save for a few moments here and there where he nearly got eliminated. Nick came in at number eighteen and looked like he was pissed beyond belief. They hadn't really spoken since that night a few months ago...he had been keeping his distance, and she deserved that. She tried to talk to him, but he would largely ignore her...it killed her knowing she pushed him away because of her damn feelings for that bastard. Nick deserved better than that.

Blinking at the screen, she saw that nobody but John was left in the ring, the fans that were booing him before now on his side after his amazing feat. He had eliminated ten people, one short of Kane's record. Peeking out the door, she saw Nick storm by, tossing things all over the place, acting out in rage. She sympathized with him to an extent. He was upset with not winning and probably still upset with her...there were better ways of going about dealing with his anger though.

"Ladies and gentleman, John Cena has eliminated ten superstars and is one man away from becoming, incredibly, the WWE Champion for the eleventh time, and on his first night back in the WWE, to boot!", Lawler said, the fans waiting with bated breath for number thirty. "This is unbelievable!"

"And how sweet would it be for Cena to experience the greatest moment of his life and his career in the same place of his downfall, the same place where he walked in champion and walked out unemployed? All he has to do is eliminate number thirty!", Cole then yelled into the headset.

"Well, this is it! Number thirty! The second of two big returns to the WWE!", said Lawler.

"Whoever it is, I'm confident to say, doesn't stand a chance! John Cena will not be stopped!", Cole exclaimed as the countdown to number thirty began.

"Who do you think it is?", Eve asked the two of them.

"I don't know...I'll be as surprised as you two will be", Bryan answered honestly.

"Ric Flair", April responded with a grin. They shared a quick laugh as the counter reached five.

"Five, four, three, two,** ONE!**"

It was go time.

The lights in the arena went out, including the ones backstage, leaving the three of them to wonder what the hell was going on. There was silence for but a few moments, before, very faintly, something could be heard. April didn't know quite what it was, but she knew she was hearing something. She then heard a loud knock, almost like a gavel hitting a really large sounding block. The gavel-like sound continued for a few more seconds before it was followed up with something industrial sounding, like it was from an underground punk club. The lights flickered along with the sound the song, or whatever it was, was making, the television coming back to life but the lights in the room still out.

Now it sounded futuristic, like it was taking them some place, followed up by a heavy drum beat that suddenly sounded way too familiar to her.

_"Love your hate, your faith lost._

_You are now one of us._

_Love your hate, your faith lost._

_You are now one of us."_

Where had she heard that song and that drum beat before? Those lyrics sounded like something she used to know...she couldn't place her finger on it just yet. All she could tell was that the crowd was buzzing heavily while John looked around, bewildered as to what was happening.

_"Nothing from nowhere, I'm no one at all._

_Radiate, recognize one silent call._

_As we all form one dark flame...**INCINERATE!**"_

This was starting to annoy her now. She knew where she had heard this song before...why was it so hard for her to pinpoint where exactly? Eve looked just as confused as she did, while Bryan was eerily silent, a look of shock and astonishment on his face and in his eyes. That should have been her hint right there.

_"Nothing from nowhere, I'm no one at all._

_Radiate, recognize one silent call._

_As we all form one dark flame._

_As we all form ONE DARK FLAME._

_As we all..."_

It hit her like a semi truck when she looked at Bryan once again. She knew where she had heard it from...more importantly, though...she knew who it belonged to. Miseria Cantare, the Beginning. AFI. Ring Of Honor...no. It couldn't be. It just...couldn't be. There was no way. She didn't want to believe it, but Bryan's face gave it away. No way...

_"Love your hate, your faith lost._

_You are now one of us._

_Love your hate, your faith lost._

_You are now **ONE OF US!**"_

On the jumbo tron, three giant, white x's appeared, and anyone with half a brain knew what three x's stood for. She felt like she knew better than anyone what they represented...the music had stopped but the lights were still off in the arena. Out of nowhere, a bevy of fireworks and pyro exploded and blasted all around the arena, on the ramp, on the stage, above the ring, which no doubt startled the shit out of John and everyone else in attendance, and after the smoke cleared, it was followed up by the sound of static and another all too familiar riffs of a guitar and a drum breakdown followed up with words that damn near shattered her psyche.

_"Look in my eyes, what do you see?_

_The cult of personality."_

Suddenly, all the lights came back on and at the top of the aisle...she couldn't believe her eyes or her ears.

There. Stood. **Phil.**

The entire building literally shook and nothing could be heard. The roof practically blew off the place as he stood there, hands on his hips, soaking in the insane reaction he was getting. The camera cut to John, and he alternated between looking like he had seen a ghost and being pissed off beyond belief. Looking down at the WWE Title...the very same one he had stolen...he looked into the camera and simply grinned as he made his way down the aisle.

She was having an outer body experience. She wasn't here, she knew she wasn't, because this was the craziest thing she had ever witnessed before in her life. How could this be happening? Why was he looking like that? He had grown his hair back out, as it now reached his shoulders, and there was a big blonde streak through the side of his jet black tresses. There was no semblance of the beard he used to proudly wear, only a goatee in it's place, and he was wearing the same exact shirt he had worn on his last night back in July...the words_ 'Best In The World'_ filled the screen as the camera followed his walk down the aisle, his arms extended outward as the fans continued to absolutely lose their shit.

**"MY GOD! KING, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?"**, Cole yelled in pure hysterics.

**"CM PUNK!? THAT TRAITOR!?"**, bellowed Lawler.

Hopping up onto the apron, his hands gripping the ropes, Phil looked straight at John with the biggest shit eating grin ever. He took a moment to look at the crowd and admire it...this, this was the biggest pop he had ever heard. And it was all for him. She could see him mouth 'Wow' to himself, much like he did last July, but this time...it meant more now.

He walked over to the turnbuckle and hopped up onto it, removing the belt from his waist and raising it high above his head, screaming "**BEST IN THE WOOOOOOORLD!"** to the masses, and they were eating it up. Jumping into the ring, he walked into the middle where he met John, who looked like he was ready to kill him. She could see, plain as day, the two exchange colorful words with each other, the arena rumbling, waiting for the two men to start slugging it out.

John made the first move, swinging and missing, Phil ducking underneath and looking to go on the offensive himself, but instead he found himself being hoisted up onto John's shoulders, who was looking to deliver the Attitude Adjustment of a lifetime. But Phil squirmed out and backed up towards the ropes nearest the entrance. John saw nothing but blood and ran straight at him...and it was over like that.

Phil ducked, pulling the top rope down as John toppled over, landing on the floor with a loud thud as the place damn near exploded for real this time. He had just won the Royal Rumble...he had just become (retained?) the WWE Champion...she couldn't breathe. She felt a tear form in her eye as Phil ripped his shirt off and threw it into the crowd, celebrating like he had just won the biggest match of his career, because he just did. Picking the title up off the mat, he ran around the ring in a circle, holding the title up high as the entire place cheered him like a conquering hero...because he was. Inexplicably, he was back. She didn't know what to think or do.

Walking towards the camera, holding the title up next to his face, he looked straight into it, almost like he was looking at her. She knew he was. Looking right at her and staring deep into her soul, where her fractured heart rested. He smiled as he uttered two words that left her feeling weak in the knees.

"I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack."

She fainted.

* * *

**And that is that. Hope you all enjoyed. :)**


	30. I've got your back

**Hey everyone! I'm baaaaaack! I just want to say right now how sorry I am that it took me this long to update this story. Life just got in the way, not to mention I was sick as a dog for a while and had no energy to do much of anything, much less write. I cannot apologize enough for keeping you all hanging the way I did, and I assure and promise you, it won't happen again. Now, for the chapter, it picks up right where we left off with the big return at the Royal Rumble. I hope you all enjoy. And again, thank you for sticking with me through this. It means a lot. **

**Now, on with the show!**

* * *

"_You can erase someone from your mind easily, but getting them out of your heart is another story." ~ Ritu Ghatourey_

"_The brain says, forget him. Hope says, you will still end up together. Pride says, poor baby does not know what he missed. The heart says, no matter what, he is still the one you love."_

"_The first person who teaches you the meaning of the word 'love' will also be the first person to teach you the meaning of the word 'pain'."_

_"April…April, wake up…"_

She could hear the voices, but for some reason, they weren't registering with her mind. As far as she knew, she was still out cold backstage after receiving the biggest shock of her life. It had to be some sort of dream, one that had turned into a cruel, nasty little nightmare. Now on top of the voices, she could hear and feel the foundation of the building continue to rock, as if it was going to crumble to pieces because everyone packed into it was still going absolutely batshit crazy. This was all too surreal for her, too much for her to take in and process. Was it real? Was he really back? Those were only a couple of questions that were racing through her subconscious right now. This couldn't be real…

_"April, please sweetie, come back to us…"_

Fluttering her eyes open, April looked up and saw the concerned faces of Kofi, Bryan, and Eve. They were all hovering over her, crowding her as she found herself seated in one of the various folding chairs littered around the room. Her head was throbbing incessantly and she felt like one big wet noodle from the bottom up. A flashlight was then thrust into her face, blinding and irritating her still pounding headache.

"Oh thank goodness, we didn't think you'd wake up…are you feeling okay, April?", she heard Eve ask as the trainer kept the flashlight trained on her eyes, searching for signs of a possible concussion. "You took a pretty hard bump on your noggin there."

"Huh…wha…? Yeah, I think…um, I think I'm fine", she managed to stagger out, trying to ignore the five thousand pound elephant that was hanging out in the back of the room. Her eyes drifted from Eve to Kofi to Bryan, who looked the most worried of the three. He knelt down next to her and placed her hand in his own, rubbing his thumb along her palm, trying to ease her pain away. He was just as shocked as she was by the events that had just unfolded not twenty minutes ago, if not more. He had to rub his eyes multiple times to make sure he wasn't imagining things as the Royal Rumble went off the air, the Chicago faithful still screaming their lungs out.

"If there's anything you need me to do, April, you say the word and it's done", he whispered to her as Kofi talked to the trainer, explaining what happened. There were now various noises coming from outside the room, the halls seemingly whipped into a frenzy over something. She saw Kofi and Eve wander out there, looking to see just what the hell could be going on.

Feeling okay enough to stand up, she gave her head a shake, trying to get rid of the cobwebs, before she did the same thing and walked out into the hall. She immediately regretted doing so. What she saw damn near made her faint again.

Security was out in droves, seemingly leading someone to the back of the arena…that person was **Phil.** April swore she felt her heart stop when she saw him, mere feet standing between them, as security tried to rush him through. Part of her wanted to run right back into his arms and never, ever let go again…while the other part wanted to walk right up to him and slap the ever loving shit out of him over and over. She couldn't tell what urge was stronger. She was too scared to find out.

At that moment, he stopped what he was doing and caught a glimpse of Kofi, Eve…and then their eyes locked. He was all sweaty, his now long hair matted to his face, the WWE Title, the very same one he had stolen, dangling over his shoulder. And he flashed her a grin. Then he winked at her…the last straw was him blowing her a kiss and mouthing _'I'll be seeing you soon'_ to her before he was finally pushed through on his way to the back of the arena. April felt her knees tremble and another hardcore bout of dizziness quickly followed, all while one singular thought swam through her head as she felt her circle of friends surround her and guide her back into the dressing room.

She really, **really** hated Chicago.

* * *

_One month later…_

2 – 18 – 12

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Elimination Chamber press conference

12:45 PM

"I see you're still not all that liked amongst the boys and girls of the land."

Phil snapped out of his daze and looked around, catching many dirty looks from people as they passed by, all of the giving him murderous glares. He took the opportunity to smile at every single one of them, which only pissed them off more. He knew why they were all fixing to kill him, and it made him laugh on the inside. None of them knew what he knew. He liked it that way.

"Am I supposed to care what they think?", he asked Colt rhetorically, earning himself a shrug of the shoulders from his best friend. "Let them think and say what they want, dude. It's no skin off of my nose."

Colt went to reply, but Amy butted in before he could, planting herself between the two men, serving as a sort of buffer between them. "And you're not worried at all about tomorrow night when you're locked inside that god awful chamber with five guys who would love nothing more than to rip you a new asshole?"

He scoffed at that notion. "Don't be silly, Ames, Kofi doesn't want to kill me", he replied as if it was the most obvious fact in the world. She sighed and rolled her eyes at his sarcastic candor. "I don't understand why you two are so fucking worried about tomorrow night. I know what I'm doing out there. I've been doing it my whole life. I'll be okay…you also have to remember. I'm not locked in there with them. They're locked in there with me."

Colt shook his head, unable to hide the grin that was spreading across his lips, whereas Amy shook her head and muttered under her breath at how ballsy and defiant he was. This was nothing new to her, of course, but it was different now that Phil had changed the rules of the game all by himself. He had managed to piss off damn near everyone in the entire locker room after what he did with the title and what he did to April, and it looked like it would remain that way for quite a while. Speaking of April…

"Have you seen her since the Rumble?", she asked, and the mood surrounding the three of them changed considerably. Colt's eyes grew wide, like he couldn't believe she'd ask something like that, while Phil grew eerily silent. He turned to face her and merely shook his head, whispering _'no'._ He then gave her a look that she deciphered as him not wanting to talk about the issue any further.

"Hey man, let's get going…I wanna see if I can get someone for my podcast", Colt said, trying to lighten the mood. "And by get someone, I mean, I want to see if everyone's hatred for you extends towards me, because apparently it doesn't with fire crotch over here", he said, chuckling as he pointed to Amy, who rolled her eyes and suppressed a laugh.

Phil stood up, Amy and Colt quickly following suit. He looked out at the crowd of wrestlers and various backstage workers, all of whom took the chance to glare daggers at him when they could, and he kept on smiling back at them. He saw no sign of Dragon anywhere, which meant no AJ as well. He was both relieved and irked that she wasn't here. It wasn't the time to begin his games with her, not yet at least. He had to go through Satan's Playground first before any of that could commence. But still…it had been a month since he laid his eyes on her…

"We'll meet up with you later, Ames", he said to the departing red-headed ex-Diva, who waved and bid them adieu. He then turned to Colt and put his arm around his best friend's shoulder, glad that he made the trip with him from Chicago. "Come on, brother. Let's find some poor unfortunate bastard for your podcast."

* * *

2 – 18 – 12

Ambassador Hotel

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

1:32 PM

April flopped down on her bed, her arms folded across her chest as she began counting ceiling tiles, doing her best to ignore the irritating nagging and buzzing that was flying all around the room. Oh how she wished it would go away.

"Come onnnn, Ape, let's go out and have some fun."

"Seriously, April, you should enjoy yourself. It's such a beautiful day out."

Her eyes drifted over to the two buzzards that wouldn't leave her the hell alone; Bryan and Kaitlyn. Kait threw herself down on the bed next to her, while Bryan stood at the foot of it, shaking his head as he watched the two best friends bicker back and forth. Ever since the Royal Rumble a short month ago, April had taken to being a shut in, which was upsetting and frustrating to him all at once. He had been working so hard to get her to come back out of the shell Phil had put her in when he left, and he was so, so close…then Phil came back…and everything went to shit again. Was he happy to see Phil back? Of course. Was he happy with the fact that he was in the middle of this seemingly never ending tug of war between the two stubborn lovers? Absolutely not.

"But there's a lot to do here, girl! The malls are to die for and the food is amazing. I know you like a good cheeseburger…are you ignoring me, spider monkey?"

"Maybe, maybe not, wonder girl. I don't feel like going anywhere…", she trailed off, not wanting to have to give the reasoning for why she had become a hobbit again. They both knew why, she shouldn't have to be forced to speak about it if she didn't want to. He was out there, somewhere, with that damn lip ring, those friggin' tattoos, those heavily lidded, sleep deprived eyes…that smile…she shook her head and silently cursed herself for allowing herself to get lost in her memories for a second. That was then. This was now. She had no room for him in her life anymore.

"Well, you've forced me to do this, so here goes", Kaitlyn said, looking to Bryan, who nodded his head in approval. April looked at the two of them curiously, wondering what they could be up to, not that it really mattered. There was nothing they could do or say that was going to get her to leave this bed.

"You know that Black Widow statue figure thing you've been wanting for the longest time?"

April's eyes lit up and her hearing sharpened once that sentence was uttered. "You mean the Black Widow Marvel Bishoujo one eighth scale pre-painted PVC figure?", she said breathlessly and effortlessly, like it was nothing. Kaitlyn's eyes widened and Bryan couldn't help but chuckle at how suddenly she had come to life like that. "What about it?! Well, what about it, wonder girl! Tell me!"

"Yeah, that one…anyways…when I went out for my jog this morning, I passed by the local comic book store and it was there in one of the display—"

Immediately, April jumped up from the bed and raced over to where her Converse and winter jacket was, throwing them on haphazardly, moving around the room like she was the female version of the Flash. Before anyone realized, April was standing by the door, tapping her foot rapidly on the floor in an impatient manner. "Well!? What are we waiting for? Let's go to the comic book store! You know I need that figure for my collection!"

The two-toned haired Diva couldn't help the laugh that escaped her mouth. Who knew all it took was one mention of the comic book store to get her best friend on her feet and out the door? She found herself wishing she had done this earlier. She looked to Bryan, who was sharing the same wide smile she had on, and nodded her head. "Well then, we'll be going. You wanna tag along, champ? I might need your help dragging spider monkey over here out of the store."

The reigning World Heavyweight Champion shook his head as he took a seat at the table in the mini kitchen, opening his laptop. "I'd love to girls, but I think the two of you need this. Besides, I've kind of gotta prepare for my first Elimination Chamber match tomorrow night…something tells me I'm not gonna like it. Thanks for the invite though, but you two kids have fun, okay?"

Kaitlyn went to nod but felt her arm getting tugged in the direction of the door, and she went with the flow, throwing her jacket and her boots on rather quickly while April kept acting like the little girl they all knew she could be sometimes. It was a refreshing sight to see as opposed to the constant mopey state she had been in ever since the Royal Rumble. She would do her best to make her best friend try and forget her jackass ex.

"C'mon, Ape. Let's have some fun."

* * *

_Later that day…_

"I can't believe this is happening to me."

Kaitlyn spoke the words aloud as she glanced to the side at the person she was unwillingly sharing the elevator with. Of all the people in the world (or in this case, the entire roster) to get stuck with, she cursed the fact that it was **him.** **He,** the man who had flipped the entire wrestling world on its head last summer. **He,** the man whom she had once considered a good friend before he showed his true colors. **He,** the man who had destroyed her best friend's heart, her hopes, and her dreams. She hated **him** with every fiber of her being.

"You know, being stuck here with you isn't necessarily high on my list of priorities either, woman."

All Phil could do was scowl and shake his head in disbelief over this predicament. He was looking forward to a nice evening of planning and preparing for tomorrow night, and more mapping out his master plan when it came to April. Of course he had a master plan when it came to winning her back. He knew what he had done was wrong on every level imaginable, but he would fix it. He had to, and he knew he would. It would just take time to heal her wounded heart.

"You have **no idea** how much I just want to scream at you right now."

"Grab a ticket and get in line, sister. You're no different than anyone else."'

"How can you be so smug and cocky about this whole thing? Do you have any idea what you did?"

"If I have to hear the question, _'Do you have any idea what you did?'_, one more time, I'll—"

"You'll what, Phil? You'll **what?** Take your ball and go home again? Steal the WWE Title again?"

"—I'll scream unholy bloody fucking murder, that's what I'll do."

"That's no surprise, considering all you are is just a big immature brat."

"Says the one doing the name calling."

She went to say something to him but stopped herself mid-sentence. She instead turned her focus to banging on the door of the elevator, hoping that someone, anyone, would hear it and come rescue her from this madness. When nothing happened after a few minutes, she sighed dramatically and slid further down the wall she was leaning up against. Phil kept shaking his head and muttering under his breath about how he wanted to gouge his eyes out, or whatever…she just hoped April was faring better than she was right now, wherever the hell she was.

* * *

"Go away Colt, I don't want to talk to you right now."

"What the hell did I do?!"

The bickering had been going on back and forth between them for a good hour now, she reckoned. Ever since she had been separated from Kaitlyn when they returned to the hotel (after a very successful trip to the comic book store) and she somehow found herself unwillingly attached to Colt's hip, she wished she was somewhere else, anywhere that she didn't have to talk to Phil's best friend directly, face-to-face, whatever. She knew from experience that talking to Colt was basically talking to an extension of Phil, minus the crabbiness and general pessimistic attitude towards everything in life. So naturally, she found herself deathly afraid of this conversation. She also found that she was angry with anyone from Phil's camp not named Amy (so basically him and Colt), and quite stand-offish. She wasn't going to show just how much her heart had broken over his actions. She had to be strong for herself.

"You tell me what you did, you're smart enough."

"Kiddo, if you think I had any hand in what that dumbass did…"

"You might as well have. We all know just how much you two love each other. It's blatantly obvious."

"How come you're not pissed at Amy, hmm? She's the one that's still living with him, for Christ's sake!"

That stung. She was still living with him, even after their talk last month before the Rumble? That was a bitter, bitter pill to swallow. But she had to show him that it wasn't bothering her. She was in disbelief that it was still happening, but she would trudge on. She had no choice but to.

"She can do whatever she pleases, it doesn't bother me. My anger isn't directed at her, you should know this."

"April…come on. It's me, Colt. I used to tell you jokes before you'd put sleeper holds on me. I'd help that bastard put you to sleep and tuck you in. I taught you my double secret handshake! I'm still that same person I was all those years ago. You can believe me when I tell you that I had nothing to do with what Phil did last summer. I damn near killed him on a few occasions because of it."

April eyed him carefully and suspiciously, narrowing them as she pursed her lips into a thin, straight line, contemplating whether he was being completely and totally sincere with her. She wanted to believe him, because like he said, he was such a big part of her childhood…but she knew that he would also always stick up for Phil and go to bat for him, deflect anger directed at him and take the fall. She admired that about Colt once upon a time, his loyalty to Phil. Now? She found it rather annoying that he was trying to say he had nothing to do with the shattering of her heart last summer.

"Why should I believe you, Colt?", she asked simply and honestly, and she wasn't surprised in the slightest when he hesitated to answer. "I'm not dumb. I'm pretty sure you were with him every day last summer. You _really_ mean to tell me that you didn't have the _slightest_ clue as to what he was going to do?"

Again, he hesitated. It was then that it finally dawned on her. "You knew he was going to leave. You **knew he was!** Didn't you, Colt!?", she yelled, a tear beginning to form on her eyelid. Her tiny little hands began to shake with rage and heartbreak as Colt looked down, then away from her, ashamed of what he was about to tell her next.

"Yeah", he said slowly, his voice laced with regret. "I knew he was leaving."

* * *

"You can bang on that damn door all you want, it's not going to change the fact that we're both stuck in here, Celeste."

"Bite me, Phil."

He sighed as her fists began to whale away at the door once more. They were going on an hour and a half being stuck inside the elevator, and he was slowly starting to lose his sanity. She had been banging on the door for close to twenty minutes now and he wanted nothing more than to restrain her or have her break one of her knuckles, something, **ANYTHING**, that would stop her from continuing.

"You're clearly still pissed off at me for what I did", he stated for no other reason than to get it out in the air and off his chest. She stopped pounding her fist against the door and glanced over at him, a look of contempt in her Texan eyes. For all he knew, she looked like she was ready to start whaling on his face, but he knew she wouldn't. He hadn't pushed enough buttons to get her that enraged yet.

"Way to state the obvious there, douchebag. When did you figure that one out? Right _before_ I told you to go fuck yourself, or _after_ you broke my best friend's heart and soul like it was nothing to you?", she asked rhetorically and angrily, wanting nothing more than to put him through as much pain as humanely possible. "You're lucky I don't start kicking your ass right now for the shit you've done."

Phil laughed out loud at her statement. He was laughing so hard he doubled over and clutched his sides, tapping out on the floor because he found it so hilarious. It only served to piss her off even more, as she scoffed and scooted away as much as she could from him into the corner, bringing her knees to her chest and curling up into a ball. She'd rather be dead than be here right now, and it reflected in her next statement.

"I hate you, Phil. I really, really hate you. And it goes without saying but I'll say it anyways…April hates you too."

The laughter immediately ceased and a serious, almost deadly look spread across Phil's face. A twinge of shock and hurt was there, but only for a second or two as he digested Celeste's words. He was speechless. And he was never speechless. His thought process went into hyper overdrive, analyzing everything that had happened over the past seven months, from the moment he ran through the crowd at Money In The Bank with the WWE Title to right now, being stuck in this elevator with his ex-girlfriend's best friend.

Did April really hate him? Could everything Dragon told him just been one massive lie to protect his feelings when it came to her? He rarely had any feelings, but when it came to April, it was commonplace. She was considered sacred in his mind…were his fears being confirmed here? He never wanted to think about them…but now…

"You don't mean that", he said in a tone barely above a whisper. "You_ can't_ mean that. You don't know why I left…"

"I know exactly why you left, Phillip", she spat out, giving him her full, undivided attention. Their gazes were locked on one another, and her next words cut him straight to the bone.

"You left because you couldn't grasp the fact that here, you had someone who loved you so unconditionally, a girl who was so altruistic and real and caring and all of that other stuff that makes her up…and you grew scared. Yeah, that's right, I said it…the big, bad motherfucker known around the world as CM Punk got scared because he couldn't handle the idea that there was someone out there that was perfect for him. So instead of confronting your feelings, you took the easy, low road out and ran. And ran, and ran and ran like a little bitch. And in the process of you doing that, you broke that girl's heart, shattered her hopes and dreams of a happy life with the man she wanted to eventually settle down with, someone whom she considered her soul mate, robbed her of her spirit, and left everyone else to try and pick up the pieces. It's all on you. **Every. Last. Bit.**"

* * *

"You have to understand, April, I only found out a day before the show! Do you understand what kind of position that put me in!?"

The two of them had been yelling at each other for close to an hour or two now. It was starting to wear on Colt, as he hated having to yell in any circumstance, especially at someone who he held in such high regard as April. She looked like she was on the verge of tears the entire time, but to her everlasting credit, she didn't once give in to that urge. _'Never let them see you cry.'_ Phil's words echoed through his head, and surely she kept that nugget of advice in mind. Even as she was badmouthing him and trying to act like what he did didn't kill her emotionally, she was still emulating him. It amazed Colt to no end.

"And you didn't once think that letting me know what he was going to do would have been beneficial? Colt, he took everything from me that night! He took everything with a smile and without a care in the world! All that mattered to him was that damn title and sticking it to Vince and John, my feelings and adoration for him be damned. I didn't matter to him."

"April, that's a lie and you know it", he stated, sounding exasperated beyond belief. He forgot how stubborn she could be. Another trait she shared with Phil, he thought to himself as he shook his head of that thought. He couldn't be dwelling on their similarities right now, not when he was trying to talk her off of her ledge, so to speak. "I know you've probably heard this a million and one times since last summer, but you have absolutely **no** idea just how much that man loves you."

"Oh blow it out your ass, Colt!", she yelled back at him, throwing her arms up in the air desperately. She was sick and tired of hearing that same damn line over and over on endless loop. "I've said it once and I'll repeat it again, if he really loves me as much as you all say he does, he wouldn't have left in the first place!", she yelled again, trembling with every forceful word. She had to remain strong right now. She had to. If she broke down into tears in front of Colt…

"You don't know why he left, April. You don't know, Kaitlyn doesn't know, Dragon, Eve, Kofi…none of you know except me and Amy know why he did what he did", he said solemnly, hating the fact that he was having to bust out the big gun right now. He was hoping to avoid doing so, but his hand was forced here. "Have you ever stopped to wonder why? Has it ever crossed your mind that, while his motives surely did include wanting to flip the bird to Vince, John and the entire company by literally stealing that god damn title, that it wasn't his only reason for leaving?"

April stopped from unloading on him once more, her blood now running cold. She never did give it any other thought. The entire time she had the perception that in Phil's mind, it was career first, personal life distant second, and she wouldn't hesitate to admit that she tried her hardest to bring his personal life up onto the same pedestal he had his career on. What other reason could he have had for leaving the way he did? He made it pretty clear he wanted no part of her anymore…

When she didn't immediately respond, Colt took upon himself to continue. "I'm sure you already know by now, but he read through your diary while it was at his place. I didn't know anything about that till Amy told me a little while ago, but believe me when I say that reading that diary changed him. He knew you loved him, but hell woman, he didn't know how much till he read everything you wrote. It made him feel like a piece of shit."

"That wasn't my intention!", April yelled out but she was quelled when Colt raised his hand up.

"Nobody ever said it was, sweetie. He realized he wasn't the man you portrayed him as. He needed to change himself and he realized he couldn't do that if you were still around…he used his contract as an out. He really left because he wanted to go away, better himself, and then come back to you new and improved. Now, you can choose not to believe me but…that's how it is."

April blinked. Then she felt her knees grow weak, and she fell into a chair. It all started to make sense to her now…

* * *

Phil raked a hand through his now short again hair and sighed heavily, while Celeste wiped away a tear that was beginning to form in her eye. They were both emotionally drained right now, and it showed. This felt therapeutic though, at least it did to him. They were both getting a lot of things off of their chests, out in the open, and letting each other have it.

"Please don't cry, Celeste."

"I'm not. I can't. I need to be strong for the two of us. _She needs me._"

"And _you_ need _her_. You need each other. I know that in my absence, you and Dragon have been her rocks. And you need to continue to be her rock. I'm not..."

"You're not what?"

He sighed again, looking to the wall. He then looked down at his tattooed hands in his lap and contemplated his next words. "It's not time for me to become a presence in her life again. A bigger one, at least."

It was Celeste's time to sigh, but this time, she delicately placed her hand on his wrist, hoping he wouldn't reject her touch. Thankfully, he didn't shirk away from it, so she smiled a bit at that. "You already are, though. You always have been. Regardless of what's happened, you're always going to be on her mind and in her heart. It's just up to you now to find your way back. Listen…I now think I have a better understanding of what you did and why…I don't like it and I never will…but I understand why. You just have to understand though, Phil, that everything you said you needed to become for her, you already were in her eyes. All you ever needed to do was just open up a bit more to her."

Phil looked to her, feeling her hand still on his wrist, and he nodded. He placed his hand on her wrist and gave her a tiny smile. "I realize that now. But I've changed. I'm better now. I'm going to show her just how much I've changed. Hopefully everything I've done won't go to waste and she won't reject me completely, but if she does…I want you and her to know."

"Want us to know what?"

"She was the best thing to ever happen to me. I know I have a funny and peculiar, and mostly cruel way of showing it, but it's the truth. And I will always, always love her, no matter what."

That was all she needed to hear. Leaning over and giving him a friendly peck on the cheek, Celeste stood up and stretched her limbs, while Phil followed suit. He looked at her and held his hand out for a shake. "Are we good now? Are you going to help me when it comes to getting my number one girl back?"

She smiled and gave him a hug. "We're more than good, Phil. I've got your back."

Just then, the elevator door swung open, and they rushed out, thankful to finally be out of that confined space. They bid silent adieus to each other before heading their separate ways, right back to their best friends who were glad to see them.

"You were stuck with April?", Phil asked while Colt nodded his head. "How did it go?"

"You've got a long road ahead of you, buddy…but you'll get there. Especially if you've got an in with her best friend again."

"Yeah", Phil said, trailing off, thinking about everything he and Celeste talked about. For the first time in a while, things were looking up when it came to April and winning her heart over again. "I'll get there."

* * *

2 – 19 – 12

Bradley Center

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

8:08 PM

_"Look in my eyes, what do you see…the cult of personality…"_

April, Celeste and Bryan's heads all popped up at the sound of Living Colour blasting throughout the arena. They all didn't think the WWE Title Elimination Chamber match would be happening right now, as the curtain jerking match, especially given the fact that Phil was the hottest commodity in the entire company at the moment, but they shrugged their shoulders. Typical. Celeste looked to her best friend and gave her a worried look as the song continued to play, while the television in the room showed Phil walking down to the ring, swinging the title around while the fans went bonkers.

"We don't have to watch this if you don't want to", Celeste said as she put a comforting hand on her best friend's shoulder. "We can go talk to the girls and catch up with them."

April shook her head. "That's okay, thank you though. I think I'm just gonna go take a walk. I'll be back soon, okay?", she said, earning nods of the head from everyone in the room.

Walking out of the room and straight down the hall, she bypassed everything until she came to the curtain at the side of the stage, where she stopped herself and watched the title match play out. Nobody noticed her and she liked it like that, opting to remain in the shadows as she silently watched Jericho, Miz, Truth and especially Nick take their frustrations out on Phil, who fought back valiantly along with Kofi, who tried to deflect the hatred pointed at Phil onto himself.

Eventually, after getting the crap kicked out of him for close to forty five minutes, Phil prevailed and remained champion while the fans proceeded to crazy again. It was when he stood on the turnbuckle, slamming the title against the chain link, that she saw him looking at her. Colt's words to her yesterday echoed through her head, sticking there as she swore she saw the smallest of grins on his lips as she felt herself become flustered, and walked away. She couldn't deal with this right now. She still had a lot of emotional processing to do.

Phil watched her walk behind the curtain and shrugged his shoulders. He was okay with that. Soon enough, he said to himself as he celebrated his victory. Soon enough.

She would be his again.

_"And I say,_

_I want you to be my girl,_

_want you to be my world._

_Even if it means that,_

_I can't have you by my side,_

_just want you in my life."_

* * *

**And that's that! I really hope you all enjoyed this latest installment. The song used here at the end was 'Sidney' by Palisades. Thank you all for reading! Foxy is up next and she's got a doozy planned for you all. Thank you! Until next time! =)**


	31. we shouldn't have

**Red Foxie here with the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it and I hope you're all having a nice weekend. XD Thanks for reading!**

* * *

That protective instinct of his made him grab her by the wrist and draw her back into the safety of his arms after the tactical officer ordered them to go inside the room and lock the door. Their hotel was officially locked down.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked, unimpressed and unprepared. "My room is just across the hall!"

Sensing her mild aggravation, he could also glean a teensy hint of indecisiveness in her tone. Her mouth was saying, fuck off, but her eyes and body language, that was speaking an entirely different language. A language he knew off by heart.

"I'm doing the same thing you are, trying to make sure we both don't end up shot by some crazy whack job. Besides, you aren't allowed out now... the cops just said we have to stay in our rooms until further notice. The way I see it, this could go on all night if it turns into a hostage incident."

She snorted her disbelief at him and turned away. "Like you had any power to stop that if it were to happen."

The entire building, plus the one next to them were either being evacuated or the guests confined to their rooms. Shit like this never happened, but there was always a first time for everything... it was always in the back of one's mind that something of this magnitude could go down in any city they visited. He just expected it to be in one of those politically unstable countries... not the US.

He could see she was more afraid of the situation than being stuck in there with him. Her bravado obviously wouldn't let her admit it, so he figured she was using him as an excuse to be pissy instead of needy. Raising his eye brow at her, he tilted his head as if to ask a question, but made a statement instead.

"You miss me, I know you do."

"Oh sure... I miss being led around like a blind lap dog, being lied to, made a fool of... yes Punk, I miss _all_ those things!"

Her blatant sarcasm was not lost on him. He knew she'd be defensive. "I was stuck in a hotel elevator with your best friend none too long ago."

Her eyes perked up. "So?"

"Weeeellll..." He dragged out his reply on purpose. Anything to get another rise out of the little sprite. "She and I have come to an understanding, I just wish it could be as easy with us, April."

She crossed her arms over her chest and heaved an audible, frustrated sigh. "I really don't care, Phil. I'm way past caring anymore, as if I haven't already been clear enough."

That sort of pissed him off a little. She was way past caring? Bull fucking shit. She couldn't even look at him, let alone stop fidgeting long enough to look like she wasn't about to bolt.

"Say what ever you want, I know the difference, April. I'm not an idiot kid."

"You could have fooled me."

He let that last one go. Arguing with her wasn't going to make her want to stay in there with him, not like she had a choice anymore. Paul and Stephanie contacted everyone as the hours passed, continually informing them of the situation's status and reassuring everyone they were safe as long as they stayed inside their hotel rooms. All had been accounted for. There would be no show tonight, but hopefully as soon as the police had the situation squared away, they might be able to make it up, time permitting.

Phil settled himself onto the middle of the bed and sat up, raising his arms above his head and lacing his fingers together behind his neck. "You wanna raid the mini-bar? It's been three hours... you have to be hungry by now."

She rolled her eyes and changed her position in the arm chair she was seated in. God forbid she try and get comfy anywhere. He already seemed to have laid claim to the only bed. There he was, with a that aggravating grin the size of the Grand Canyon, and his legs spread eagle on the bed for the night.

"Where, pray-tell, am I going to sleep?"

He playfully patted the mattress beside him. "Right here. You should know by now I don't bite."

"I'd rather take my chances out there with that nut bag." She laughed at the suggestion.

"Oh sure... you know April, this cold shoulder is ridiculous." He slid off the bed and crossed the room to where she sat. "I _know_ you don't hate me."

She glared at him with dark brown eyes, upset he knew the difference. "Hate is a very strong word, and I don't like to use it. I have a very strong dislike for you, _Punk_. It's that simple. You cut me out of your life without a thought, like a cancer, and you expect me to act like it was nothing to me?" She stood up and balled her little fists at her side, getting as close to him as she could without wanting to jump into his arms again. "You destroyed me, Phil. I don't know if I'll ever get over being thrown away like trash."

Those words strung him, and he was surprised as he flinched, allowing her to see she'd struck a chord. He wasn't angry at her, he was angry at himself, but he couldn't be swayed yet. The time was not right. Oh how he wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her full, pouty lips. He wanted nothing more than to show her how much he loved her, but he had to wait. They both did. It was for the good of their relationship to restrain himself.

"You aren't trash, come on April, you know better than to say something like that. I never said you were trash, for fuck sakes. Stop putting words in my mouth."

"You may not have come right out and said it, but you treated me like trash! You have no idea, do you, how shitty you made me feel. One second I was your world, and the next, I didn't even exist anymore!"

"You're still just hurt and angry, I get it." He wasn't going to let her win this one.

"You're damned right I'm hurt and angry! What did you expect, for me to just smile my crazy chick smile and go skipping off into the freaking sun set? I LOVE you!"

Both of them stilled.

"You what?"

"I, I _loved_ you." She quietly corrected herself. She could not make the mistake of letting him know she really did still love him after everything he'd put her through. He needed to learn...

"_April._.."

Turning away from him she crossed her arms over her chest. She wouldn't have this conversation with him. If she had to sit there in silence for the next few hours, so be it.

"I'm sorry. I, I don't know what else I can say to you. I just wish I could make you understand." He tried to empathize with her, placing his hands on her shoulders, but she shrugged away from his as quickly.

"Don't bother Punk. I'm done, either way." She told him, and sank herself back into the arm chair she'd occupied earlier.

"At least you take the bed, I can sleep on the floor, okay? Celeste told me you've been having back issues lately, and a night on the floor isn't going to help that."

"She had no right to talk to you regarding anything about me!"

"Just take the fucking bed, I'm going to grab some extra bedding from the linen closet."

* * *

Three agonizingly slow, silent hours slipped by. There had been no word as to what the status of the situation was. Not even Paul knew what was happening. Phil lay on his back on the floor now, trying to nap a little, but had no success. This was a stale mate before the game even began, he thought. She really had managed to steel herself against him. He just hoped she wasn't so far gone it would be impossible to win her back. He glanced up to her on the bed, playing games on her phone. She was doing everything imaginable to ignore him, and unbelievably, it was working.

Rapid gunfire ringing through the air was completely unexpected, and when the power went out at the same time, April screamed. Punk immediately bolted upright, resisting that strong urge to look through the curtains. They had been told not to go anywhere near the windows. His phone started to vibrate and he fumbled with it in his shock, trying to answer.

"Who is it?"

"Hey, it's Stephanie... I don't know what that was yet, but just stay put, okay, Paul and I are taking roll call."

"It sounded like someone shooting..." He was starting to feel a little bit of unease now.

"I think so too. This is getting more out of hand that I ever expected it to get. The last I heard was they sent in a team from Homeland Security to try and smoke this guy out. Most of the action is on the third floor below you. I want you and AJ continue to stay put, okay?"

"All right, no problem there."

"Who was that?" April asked him, still unable to calm herself.

"Steph... it doesn't look like this shit will be over anytime soon." He announced, feeling helpless and trapped.

The next round of loud booms launched April from the bed right into his lap. It sounded like an explosion down the hall. Phil didn't even hesitate to circle his arms around her and huddle her close to his body. The noise scared the hell out of him as well. It was like a bloody war zone had erupted on the third floor.

"Oh my god, Phil, what's happening?"

They heard what sounded like a group of men running down the hall, some yelling, another spate of gun fire and more yelling. Punk assumed they were the tactical police. This situation was starting to go down hill real fast. April buried her face into his shoulder and cried, so terrified she didn't care she was seeking solace from the man who broke her heart. He tried soothing her as best as he could, but it wasn't helping. Not having any information from outside wasn't helping, either. Grabbing the remote from the nightstand he turned on the tv. Surely there had to be some news channel reporting this by now.

_...Breaking news... a gunman is on a shooting rampage at Tuscon's Marriot Hotel... guests are ordered to stay in their rooms, locked down until the suspect is subdued. There have been no reports of injuries or fatalities as of yet. On another side note, two floors of this hotel are currently occupied by WWE staff and talent, including Stephanie McMahon and her husband, Paul Levesque_...

Turning it off, he heaved a worried sigh. He knew they weren't in any direct danger, but convincing April of that was next to impossible. This was the closest and longest she had been this close to him in months... she was literally clinging to him now, and shaking like a leaf with each new flurry of movement or noises.

"Look, everything's fine as long as we stay put, which we're obviously gonna do, okay?" He told her, smoothing down her hair with his hand. "If we weren't safe here they would have evacuated us April. Try to calm down."

"I, I can't help it, I'm scared! This is unreal!"

"I know, and believe me, I'm not thrilled about it either, but, April... it is what it is and lucky for me, we're in it together, okay?"

Nodding, she licked at her dry lips and conceded. "I know... this just feels... weird."

"No more weird than it feels for me." He admitted. It also felt wonderful at the same time, but he wasn't about to tell her that. Inhaling the sweet, vanilla scent of her dark curls and the feel of her petite little body _willingly_, no less, pressed to his, he smiled and rested his chin on her head. This was as close as he could get... for now.

She knew he was right, but it was hard with all the strange noises and sporadic gunfire in the building. She was so distressed she didn't even notice she was now glued to him, her rock, her safety line... Phil. He was here with her as he always was when she felt afraid. She could feel his even breath at the side of her face giving her tingles, she could hear his heart thump out a steady beat in time with her own. He was warm and inviting to the touch, and holding her again like he always did. This was one of the few times his hair wasn't gelled, and if fell in soft feathers across his eyes when he looked down at her. Reaching up, she brushed it from his eyes. She felt safe with him. She knew he would protect her.

"We're all right, it's been quiet for a little while. Maybe we'll get an update soon." He tried to ease her nervousness, immediately noticing the doubt in her dark brown eyes. Hugging her again she circled her arms around his neck and literally settled in for the long haul. All he could do was lean against the wall and wait for them to say it was over. He didn't care how long it took.

* * *

They both had fallen asleep holding one another, because when April woke, she was laying across his chest and his arms were still cocooning her into the curve of his body. Just like old times, she thought with a small, wistful smile. With no real ideas as to how long they'd been there like that, she tried to reach for her phone without waking him, but it was too far. She'd just stay there like this with him and enjoy it while she had an excuse to and no one would know.

"April?" His voice was groggy, drugged with sleep.

"Yes?"

"I missed you."

Was he awake, or was he dreaming? Was she dreaming? Glancing up, his mossy eyes were half open, and he looked genuinely troubled. "I... miss you too, Phil."

She didn't expect those words, and she certainly didn't expect what he did next. His lips coursed across hers in a slow, lingering manner, and she felt the cool bite of his lip ring as he carefully sampled her for the first time on ages. Damn, did he ever taste good, she thought, and melted into his arms. Gentle and inquisitive, his tongue found hers as he proceeded with his sweet invasion, without a thought as to the consequences that lay ahead. She didn't try to stop him, voluntarily leaning into him for more of his ravenous touch, groaning into the kiss as if it were her last breath.

Reclaiming her mouth with more intensity, he gently pushed her back to the floor, hovering over her propped up by his elbows, as his hands framed her face, sucking and nipping at her lower lip with blind abandon. He could sense the need of her body as she arched against his obvious arousal. He should not be doing this... he knew he couldn't do this now. His thoughts were consumed with want, literally obliterating any common sense on either of their parts.

April had one lithe leg wrapped around his hip, and her hands spiked into his hair as she devoured him, having been starving for his touch for so long. She was damned near delirious with desire for him, ready to let go of all that he'd done and let him take her once again.

Her phone started buzzing...

They ignored it.

It started buzzing again.

Phil's phone began to vibrate across the night table next.

"Fuck..." He muttered, and pulled himself away from her trembling body to answer it. "What?"

"It's Paul, it seems that they have this guy in custody now. Everything's okay and you're free to leave the room if you like."

"Oh, great, yeah, thanks Paul."

He sat there and dragged his hand down his face, his body still hot with the thought of sex lingering in the back of his mind. Glancing over to April, he could see she had already come to her senses. Her cheeks were bright pink and she was still breathing heavy... but she'd gotten herself off the floor and was fixing her rearranged clothing. She looked like her dad just caught her kissing a boy on her first date.

"I'm guessing everything's okay now?"

He nodded.

"I, I think I'd better go back to my own room then. Uh..."

"April? I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have..."

"No, we shouldn't have..."

* * *

**Okay, thank you for reading! We hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. :) If anyone is interested in AU fic with OC and Punk, I have one that is ten chapters in. There are a few other WWE personalities as well throughout the story. Once again, we bot appreciate your comments. Up next. White Firebird!**


	32. this is it

**Hey everyone! Firebird here with the newest chapter...and boy is it a doozy. It's WrestleMania XVIII! The big match between Punk and John Boy is finally here. I hope you all like the chapter as much as I did writing it. We're one step closer to the Summer of AJ! Which means we're one step closer to that big moment everyone's waiting for...that special kiss on the that took place a year ago :) And that's that! Enjoy!**

**The song used is 'Bike Scene' by Taking Back Sunday. If you've never listened to it...give it a listen. It's wonderful.**

* * *

_"I'll leave the lights down low_  
_so she knows I mean business_  
_And maybe we could talk this over_  
_Cause I could be your best bet_  
_Let alone your worst ex_  
_And let alone your worst..."_

Phil found himself staring across the room at the blinged out, gaudy bauble hanging from his locker room stall. It was all coming down to this. Six nights from now, he would be stepping into Miami as the reigning and defending WWE Champion, and stepping into the bright lights of the main event of WrestleMania for the first time. Sunday would be two hundred and fifty nine days as 'the man', dating back to when he won/stole the title on his way out the door. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a tad bit nervous heading into the match that would, as many were saying, change the course of the company for years to come. And he was **never** nervous. It was old school mentality versus new school upbringing. He wasn't even supposed to be here right now. The tattoos, the hair, the piercings, the surly attitude, the sarcasm…he should've been an outsider looking in at the giant, muscled up Supermen like John Boy, not standing across the ring from him with millions upon millions of eyes watching his every move. It wasn't fully hitting him till now that, yes, this was really happening to him. He was at the pinnacle of his profession.

"Hey man, you doing okay?"

Shaking his head and bringing himself out of his daze, Phil looked up to see Bryan taking a seat next to him. The sight of the World Heavyweight Championship hanging around his friend's shoulder wasn't lost on him. Here they were, two indy schmucks in the past, now the top two guys in the WWE. He must've been dreaming.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just letting the reality of the situation fully sink in for the first time", he said softly, rubbing his taped hands together, his eyes never leaving the WWE Title. "Hard to believe that this is happening to the two of us, huh?"

The World Heavyweight Champion grinned and shook his head, clapping his hands together. "It is, yeah. There are times where I stop and think about how amazing the ride has been, how far I've come. I have to pinch myself constantly to remind myself that it's all real."

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, his hands tracing lines around the gold plates of the title he had secured around his shoulder. "Who would of thought? A vegan from the woods of Washington and a punk rock kid from Chicago are the top two guys heading into WrestleMania."

Phil looked over and smirked a bit, then back to his title, before his mind began to wander. Something in the corner of his eye caught his attention for a second; Bryan was wearing a little bracelet, filled with colors of all sorts and whatnot. "Where'd you get that, Dragon?", he asked, pointing to the item in question.

"Oh, this little thing? April made it for me."

_"I wanna hate you so bad_  
_But I can't (but I can't) stop this_  
_anymore than you can."_

And now suddenly, gone were the thoughts of his impending clash with the 'golden boy' of the company for the industries most prized possession on its biggest stage. Taking their place was long, wavy, dark mahogany hair, pouty, full pink lips, a megawatt smile that could power up the sun, a laugh that could pick anyone up, a body that made him think dirty thoughts, and a lifetime of memories, both good and bad. That summed April Jeanette Mendez up in so many words to him. For the first time, he was starting to wonder if what he did last summer was actually worth this.

Bryan saw the faraway look in his friend's eyes and cursed himself. He should've known better than to bring her up at a time like this. Things had been going so well for the two of them though, that he didn't think anything of it. He was really coming into his own as an abusive dickhead boyfriend and she played her part of submissive, loyal, loving and emotionally scarred girlfriend to perfection. And behind the veil, they were getting along really well. She opened up to him a lot, he asked her for advice for a lot of things…they were just becoming really good friends. He was an idiot for mentioning her so casually to Phil. Another open wound having salt poured onto it.

"Hey man…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you or—"

"You're fine, Dragon. Don't apologize. It's nothing I'm not used to hearing", Phil said in a hushed tone. "I'm just thinking now…about all the good times we shared. There were…there were a lot of them, man. I find myself reminiscing about them often, too often for my own good sometimes."

"Well, yeah, I can imagine man. You've known her since she was what, eight years old? You've been attached to each other's hips for practically your whole lives. You don't forget stuff like that, and you probably never will. She's a memorable little spitfire", Bryan commented, speaking from experience of his own, having been working and travelling with her since last August, being the unwilling middle man in the messy break up between the two. He hated seeing them so miserable without each other, he really did. He wished he knew a way to get them to see just how much they missed each other, but they were two of the most stubborn people he had ever and probably would ever know.

Phil sighed and ran a hand through his un-gelled hair, letting it fall in feathery little wisps over his eyes. He was speechless right now. What could he say? It wasn't like he could go back in time and change what he had done. He made his bed, and he was lying in it. Granted, yeah, he had the WWE Title and the main event spot at WrestleMania sleeping right there next to him, and he was riding a wave of popularity that he had never witnessed or felt before, but he still felt…empty inside. He had been feeling empty ever since July. He knew it would happen, but it didn't quite hit him until right now, this moment, that maybe, just maybe…

Maybe he had thrown away the best thing to ever happen to him and he wasn't going to get it back. Maybe this last heart he had broken and tossed away would come back to haunt him for good. And maybe, just maybe, throwing April to the side like yesterday's trash in order to get what he wanted in the form of actual change within this damn company and making his own voice heard wasn't worth it at all.

"You need to be left alone for a bit, man?", Bryan asked, standing up and fastening the World Heavyweight Title around his waist. All Phil could do was look up and nod weakly, unable to form a coherent thought or process a simple sentence right now. The only thing he was consumed with right now was her. He felt Bryan's hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze, before his old friend departed, leaving him alone once more.

Images and memories of April began to course throughout his brain, ranging from great to downright depressing. It was becoming too much for him to handle right now. He couldn't afford to get this emotional before his career making match with John Boy on Sunday. Shaking his head, he leaned back in his seat and found his already heavy eyelids becoming heavier. Taking a nap right now to clear his thoughts and get refocused on WrestleMania sounded like a good idea to him right now. Maybe sleep would actually work in his favor for once. Maybe. If it helped get the images of April smiling and laughing out of head for now, then he'd take it.

* * *

_"So honestly, how could you say those things_  
_when you know they don't mean anything_  
_And you know very well_  
_that I can't keep my hands to myself,_  
_hands to myself"_

"Wake up, tool bag."

Phil stirred. That voice…it sounded familiar.

"Seriously, I'll kick you in the dick if you don't get up right now, Punk."

Opening his eyes, everything that was blurry started coming into focus. Hovering over him was Amy and, directly behind her, Celeste. Out of habit and instinct alone, he searched for someone that wasn't there. He was both relieved and a bit disappointed she wasn't, but he got over it quickly. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes as everything in the room became clearer to him.

"What, what is it?", he asked as he got to his feet and stretched his limbs out, before walking across to the stall that housed the WWE Title, grabbing it and slinging it over his shoulder.

"We're going out and we wanted to know if you'd like to accompany us", Celeste said, pointing between herself and Amy. The fiery red head had a look on her face that could kill depending on the answer he was about to give.

"Uh, I'm good, thanks. I've gotta prepare for Sunday, maybe next time. Rain check?"

Amy smiled and tucked some of her long red locks behind her ear. Something was up in that devious little mind of hers, he knew just by looking at her and how she and Celeste were both dressed; like they were ready for a night out on the town. _"Ames…"_

"We figured you'd say no, so you're coming with us anyways. Celeste, sweetie, if you wouldn't mind doing the honors", she said, making way for the two toned haired Diva to take hold of Phil and start dragging him out of the room and into the empty halls of the arena. He forgot just how damn strong she was, but he wasn't surprised, seeing as she was born and raised in Texas. "Complain once, and I'll make you regret it, Phillip."

He shot a dirty glare at Amy as he was still being led by the arm down the halls and through the back doors, walking into the crisp night air that Fort Lauderdale had to offer in late March. After sliding into the backseat of the truck that Amy had rented, he buckled in and immediately did what Amy said he shouldn't do; complain.

"Why the hell do you need me to go with you two while you both go do stupid shit? It's not like either one of **you** are main eventing the biggest match in company history six nights from now!", he yelled over the obnoxiously loud music that Celeste was blasting from the stereo as they drove off. He was getting pissed off already. "Are you even fucking listening to me!?"

"Phillip, sweetie, do us both a favor", Amy said loud enough for him to hear as they sped through an intersection to wherever the hell they were going right now.

"Shut up", Celeste added, deadpanning the line as she turned the music back up and began to bob and weave her head to the beat, while Amy followed suit as she drove, while he sat in the back, arms folded across his chest, looking like he had murder in his eyes. Gripping the leather strap of the title firmly in his hand, he began to mutter under his breath, his words colorful and dirty, wondering why he always found himself in situations like this and then telling himself that he needed to get new friends.

Twenty minutes later, he saw that they were driving onto a winding dirt road, up a steep looking hill. His curiosity was starting to get the better of him now. It was dark enough out that he couldn't exactly see where they were, and that irritated and cheesed him out a little bit. Maybe this was some kind of prank the girls were playing on him to get him to loosen up a bit. It wouldn't surprise him, given who he was in the car with right now. Amy and Celeste were both known in many circles for being pretty good pranksters.

When the car came to a full stop at the top of the hill, the girls hopped out rather quickly, leaving him confused as to what was really happening here. Getting out himself, Phil closed the door and walked to the front of the car, and needless to say, his eyes bugged out of his head when he saw who was standing mere feet in front of him.

"What's **she** doing here?!"

"What's **he** doing here!?"

_"I wanna hate you so bad_  
_But I can't (but I can't) stop this_  
_anymore than you can"_

Phil turned around and saw Celeste and Amy piling back into the truck with Dragon, Colt, Kofi and Eve. This whole thing was a set up, and he fell for it hook, line and sinker. As he watched them speed away, smiles on all of their faces, he wished he could give chase and kick every single one of them in the face for doing this, leaving him here with her. He couldn't bring himself to turn around and face her right now, instead staring off into the shadows and watching the dust settle from the now departed truck carrying his friends. Gripping the WWE Title firmly in his hand, he slumped his shoulders, sighing heavily. This wasn't going to be fun for anyone involved.

"If it's any consolation at all to you, which I'm sure it isn't but whatever, I'm just as mad at them as you are right now."

Finally turning around to face her, he saw that she was glancing down at her Converse, awkwardly kicking some pebbles around in the dirt, wringing her hands together nervously, and avoiding eye contact at all costs. They hadn't been anywhere near each other since that day in the hotel together. Sure, there were the awkward, forlorn glances they would share with one another when they would happen to run into each other in the hall, or saw each other in catering, in their own camps; her with Bryan and Celeste, him with Kofi and Eve, and sometimes Amy and Colt when they made the trip together. He had been doing his best to try and push her from his mind on this road to WrestleMania XXVIII, instead realizing the severity and the big time implications of his match with John. He hadn't trained this hard in his entire career for anything. He was going to make or break his legacy this Sunday through hell or high water.

Since that day in the hotel, April had become a recluse yet again, writing her feelings, when she could get them out properly, into her old, tattered diary, and bottling them back up when she was around everyone. She was doing her absolute best to throw herself into working and being around Bryan, learning every and any little thing she could about the business from him. She tried to put a positive spin on everything, thinking that maybe if she tried her hardest to forget about everything, forget about the never ending pain in her heart, she could eventually move on from it. She was wrong, again. What else was new? She had been wrong about a lot of things lately.

_"So…"_

_"So…"_

"We don't have to stay here and let them think they've pulled one over on us, you know", Phil said tersely, trying to keep an even keeled demeanor about this. His anger wasn't placed with her, no way, and he needed to make sure she knew that. "They were obviously nice enough to leave us a car so we could get back to the hotel so…I don't know…"

"They thought they could leave us alone so that we could hash everything out…those **jerks**…", April murmured under her breath. She didn't know what to say to him right now; she didn't know if she'd ever be able to find the words for him. She had wanted any kind of talk about what he did to be planned out, not spontaneous like this. Their friends cared about the both of them, they really did, but right now, their looking out for them was misguided, at least in this sense right now. She wanted to scream at them all so badly.

"What was that?", he asked, having caught the last bit of her sentence.

"Oh…um, nothing. You were saying?", she asked, mentally cursing herself.

"We don't have to do anything. I can drive us back to the hotel and we can pretend this never happened, just like that day in the hotel didn't happen either", he said, not missing the somewhat hurt look in her eyes at the mention that their night together last month meant nothing. For the sake of everything right now though, he had to say and act like that. He wasn't tipping his hand to her yet. "Or better yet, if you want, you can drive the truck and I'll find my own way back."

"You're not going to walk back to the hotel, Punk. Get in the car. **I'll** drive."

"If we show up together, they'll think we had some breakthrough and they'll continue to bug the shit out of us, and if we both know the company we keep, Amy will take you aside and talk your ear off, and Celeste will do the same to me, and believe you me, none of us want that right now. I've got to get in the right state of mind for John Boy this Sunday, and you've gotta do your shit with Dragon and whatnot. So I'm walking, that's that."

And he went to do so, even managing to walk a few feet, before her delicate touch was on his wrist, sending chills down his spine that he hadn't felt in quite some time. He resisted the urge to shrug his arm away from her, instead looking at her from over his shoulder.

"Get in the truck, Phillip. I'm _not_ saying it again."

He had to admit, he was sorta turned on by the firmness in her voice and the action she was taking with him right now. He had always known her to be combative and defiant (he had a big hand in that) when she needed to be, but this…he liked it. Of course he was going to keep that to himself, for now at least.

Sliding into the passenger side of the truck and placing the WWE Title up on the dashboard (he didn't miss the look of utter disgust April gave the prized jewel of the company), he waited for her to turn the ignition, start the sucker up and drive off in relative silence. Except, it didn't happen like that. She sat down in the driver's seat and gripped the steering wheel, looking out the overlook, at the darkened, scenic skies of southern Florida. Her knuckles were starting to turn white, and she put her head down on the wheel, looking like she was fighting back tears.

Phil didn't know what to do in this instance. He had long ago lost the privilege of being the one to comfort her, her shoulder to lean on, so to speak, and despite very, very strong urges to reach across and hug her, he kept himself in check and sat there awkwardly. He felt like he was being transported back in time to when he baby sat her, and she would come to him after a bad day at school, crying her eyes out over something some bully said to her. Only, this time, he was the reason she was crying. He had never wanted to kick his own ass so badly before in his entire life than he did right now.

"Do…do you want to uh…do you want to talk about it?", he asked feebly and pathetically, feeling next to useless right now.

April raised her head, not looking over to him, instead keeping her gaze on the skies just through the windshield. "What's the point?", she asked almost rhetorically. "We both know that you don't want to. You're too content keeping me in the dark about everything."

"April…come on…", he said, again feeling like a pile of dog shit. This wasn't supposed to be happening yet. He had it all planned out, he really did. Once he was done with John and his mission in proving once and for all, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was the best in the world was over, he would fully invest himself in getting his number one girl back, no matter what he had to do to prove to her that he still loved her despite what he had done. Now was not that time though.

"What, Phil? What do you want me to say?", she said, still not looking at him, trying hard to not break down and cry, to not look weak in his eyes. Even after everything he did to her, she still wanted to look strong to him. "That I'm okay with how things are right now? That I'm happy to live a lie? That everything's gonna be just fine once I come to grips with the fact that the person who I thought was my soul mate pulled the biggest joke ever on me by saying that he loved me and would never leave me when he already had one foot out the damn door!?"

Every single one of her words was like tiny daggers piercing his skin and cutting him to the bone. He had heard from everyone and through the grapevine about how damaged she had become since his departure last July, but this was the first time he was really, truly seeing it with his own eyes, their episode in the hotel room notwithstanding. He knew she was trying so damn hard to not break into pieces in front of him, and for that, he admired her. He _always_ admired her. But this…this was something he didn't like. He was getting a front row view of his handiwork.

"I wish I could make you understand."

Now she was looking at him, her eyes watery but no tears falling. He wasn't expecting what she was going to say next.

"Then why don't you fucking _make me_ understand, Phil!", she yelled at him, causing him to recede a bit into his seat. "Why don't you!? You claim to be some genius, some smart guy with an even smarter mouth, then tell me, make understand why you left me high and dry for **THAT** thing!", she screamed, pointing at the WWE Title on the dashboard. He went to say something but she cut him off before he could even open his mouth. She was nowhere near done yet.

"You know, I always told everyone…I told them, _'Oh, Phil's not in this for the money or the power, he's in this business because he loves wrestling and he loves being an entertainer. He's not about titles, position, or anything like that. He loves wrestling and can't see himself doing anything else.'_ They would always tell me differently…well I guess they were right, huh?"

"April, it's not like that…", he said softly, his eyes wandering between the title that had brought him so much more than he could have imagined and the woman who knew him better than he did himself. "I didn't go about things the way I did because I was—"

"Because you were what? Done with me? What is it, Phil? All I kept hearing from everyone, and still hear, is how little of an idea I have when it comes to how much you love me. You left anyway! You left, stole the damn title, got Vince and John fired, and now you're the number one guy in all of wrestling and you're gonna be in the main event on Sunday. You wouldn't have left if you loved me as much as everyone says you do…or did, whatever…"

_"This is all wrong and it shows_  
_There's certain things I promised not to let you know,_  
_(You've got a silly way of keeping me up on the edge of my seat,_  
_You've got a silly way of keeping me up on the...)_  
_not to let you know_  
_I never, never..."_

"Look, it's clear to me that you're in no shape to be discussing this shit with me right now, or anytime soon…I mean, what do you want me to tell you, April? You have no idea how much I want to say everything and reveal the truth to you about why I left…it's just…", he trailed off, his eyes but for a moment glancing over at the WWE Title. It came back to that. It always came back to that.

April shook her head, biting down hard on her lip to stop it from quivering. "No, I get it. You're CM Punk. You're the WWE Champion. You're the best in the world, and you've got to maintain that image. I only held you back and kept you from realizing your true potential. How silly am I to think that what we had was real all these years. I mean, look what happened. You ditched me last summer and now you're in the main event of WrestleMania this Sunday. I guess I'm the dumb one here. I should have known all along."

Phil went to say something but instead watched as April unlocked the doors and slipped out the driver's side. Following her lead, he got out of the truck and ran around to the back, grabbing hold of her wrist to stop her from walking any further. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing, Phil? I'm giving you a taste of your own medicine."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

She shook her wrist out of his grasp and took a few more steps away from him, a solemn, heartbreaking look on her face as she took a deep breath and smoothed out her clothes.

"I'm walking out on you."

* * *

**4 – 1 – 12**

**Sun Life Stadium**

**Miami Gardens, Florida**

**WrestleMania XVIII**

_"You've got this silly way_  
_of keeping me on the edge of my seat_  
_But you're only counting the clock against the train_  
_And I'm miserable, oh_  
_(You've got a silly way of keeping me up on the edge of my seat,_  
_You've got a silly way of keeping me up on the...)_  
_And you're just getting started_  
_I'm miserable, oh"_

Phil looked up at the lights backstage and took a deep breath; this was it. In just a few moments, he would make or break his career, hell, his legacy, when he stepped through those curtains and into the night, into the lights, into the biggest match of his career. He could feel the entire stadium shaking with anticipation as the video package chronicling his never ending saga with John Boy played on the video screens. As the music pumped through his headphones, he began to wrap up his pre-match stretching exercises. Sitting himself down on a crate, he removed his headphones and threw the WWE Title around his shoulder, looking at one of the television screens as the video started to come to a close. The same thought crossed his mind as he watched on, the video finally ending to the enthusiastic roar of the crowd.

"This is it", he whispered to himself, hopping off the crate, checking his kickpads and wrist tape once more before fastening the title around his waist. Just as he was about to go make his way to the gorilla position, he caught something…rather, someone, out of the corner of his eye. April. What the hell was she doing here, especially right now? He hadn't seen her since Monday night…

"Hi", she said timidly, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Can I help you? Or are you gonna walk away again before I can say anything?", he asked somewhat bitterly, cracking his neck and then his wrists in one last pre-match routine.

She let his comment slide, looking up into his grey green eyes, cursing herself for the effect his gaze still had on her. She had to make this quick. "I just came by…"

"To what?"

"…to wish you good luck. I know how much this whole thing means to you…and despite everything, especially how things were handled on Monday night, I just want you to know…that you have my support. Now go prove that you're the best in the world."

She was feeling bold, bolder than she should've been feeling, and so she stood on her tippy toes and gave him a peck on the cheek, before quickly turning on her heels and speed walking away.

"April Jeanette Mendez!"

'Shit', she thought as she cringed and faced him again. So much for her quick getaway.

He shot her a grin. "Thanks. But you already know that luck is for losers."

She gave him a tiny smile before running off again, right as John's music came to an end, leaving him alone with his thoughts as he made it to the curtain, waiting for his music to hit. The opening riff of Cult Of Personality hit, followed up by a massive array of fireworks going off above the stadium. His smile was as bright as the display as he put his hands on the curtain. This was it

It was go time.

* * *

_After the match…_

April watched as Phil made it back to the backstage area. Everyone surrounded him and celebrated his victory over John. He was covered in his and John's sweat, beaten up and looking ready to pass out and sleep, but he had that smile still as the WWE Title hung loosely on his shoulder. The whispers going around backstage, before the match was even over, were that it was not only one of the greatest in the history of the company, but in the entire sport of professional wrestling. It was that amazing. She was completely enthralled with what she watched, and it showed her why she got into this business in the first place. She loved every second of it.

As Phil made his way through the swarm of people, she locked eyes with him. They held each other's gaze for a few moments, when he looked to the curtain, like he was looking past it at the ring, then back at his WWE Title. He nodded and grinned for a second. Reading his lips, he mouthed to her, _'That was for you.'_

Another tiny smile spread across her pink lips. She did the only thing she could think of.

"Thank you."

_"You've got me right where you want me_  
_(let's never talk) Let's never talk, let's never,_  
_let's never talk about this again because..._  
_I didn't want it to mean that much to me_  
_I didn't want it to mean that much to me_  
_I didn't want it to mean that much to me_  
_I didn't want it to mean that much to me_

_Anyway…yeah."_

* * *

**And that's that. Foxie's up next. Hope you all enjoyed! =)**


	33. star crossed lovers

** Okay, sorry for the long wait! Here is #33 FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT! :) Hope you like it and we''l catch you later! ;)**

* * *

April collected her gear and started to head for her rental car, feeling pleased with herself, and for Punk after winning his big match against John. She couldn't be more proud of him as she was today, that was for sure. Dropping her things into the back seat, she removed her hoodie, feeling a warm Miami breeze caress her skin.

"Hey!"

Looking back, she could tell it was Punk. We walked up to her and took the liberty of tossing his things into the back seat of her car as well.

"W-what are you doing?"

"I'm inviting myself to go with you for celebratory ice cream cones." He told her, his crooked grin twisting her insides all to hell. "You drive, I'll buy. How does that sound?"

She folded her arms over her chest and frowned at him. "Okay, what's your angle this time? I thought you said everything you had to say the last time we were alone."

"I did... I just want to take you out for ice cream, April. What's so diabolical about that?"

She studied his demeanor, searching for some underlying _thing_ that would end up causing another fight. His desperate eyes were practically pleading with her to give and and just go with it. God, was he ever adorable looking when he was practically begging her for something. She took this moment to casually look him over, her eyes appreciating his tall, lean frame, and how nice his hair was tonight... he didn't put that awful gel in it this time, and she loved how the breeze would catch it, and make it dance around his gentle, olivine gaze.

"So, are we going to go get some ice cream or not?"

"Okay. But you have to pay, that's the deal."

"That was the deal, yes April. I promise." He smiled, and hopped into the passenger seat.

* * *

They strolled along the boardwalk, but not hand in hand, both enjoying their frozen treats and each others company for a change. He led the way and she followed, like old times. They talked about anything and everything. It was actually refreshing to be able to be in his presence without wanting to gouge his eyes out. In no time at all the ice cream was gone and they ambled slowly along the waterfront, not hand in hand of course, but walking very close to one another. They may as well have been holding hands. They looked every bit like two people hopelessly in love, and they were.

"I think a storm's about to unleash it's fury, April, we should probably head back to the car."

"But my phone said it was supposed to be clearing out."

"Do you see any stars?"

She shook her head and pulled her hoodie up around her neck. "Yeah, you're right. It did get a little cold all of a sudden, didn't it?"

The sky opened up under a low rumbling, signalling to the couple that they were about to get very wet. They both looked at each other, then up to the sky.

"Run!"

Instinctively, he grabbed her by the hand and they made a mad dash for the car, but before they even got close the heavens split wide open and the deluge came in torrents. She frantically searched her pockets for the keys, patting herself down in a mild panic as another boom rumbled across the angry sky.

"April, where are the keys?"

"I, I dunno! I thought I had them in my pocket...I...I..."

"For fuck sake, you didn't lock them inside, did you?" He bent down and tried to see under the steering wheel, hoping he was wrong.

Lightening now started to flash over their heads as she peeled off her hoodie and shook it, hoping they would magically fall out of nowhere.

"They aren't in the ignition April... you _must_ have them someplace!"

She fished around in her pockets one more time, and out of the hoodie they came, falling to the ground before she could catch them.

"Jack pot!"

She bent down and shoved the key into the door just as another round of thunder clapped over their heads. She tumbled into her side and he stumbled into his side, meeting face to face much like they had a couple of years ago now. Both of them were once again soaked, water dripping from every part of their heaving bodies.

"Is it just me, or does this feel really... familiar?" He asked, trying to catch his breath.

She flashed him her mega watt smile, trying to pick a few soaking strands of hair out of her face. "Yes, I think it is..."

"Here, let me help you." He reached over and gently tugged away the offending hair from her eyes, then without even thinking, he cupped her face in his hand. He just couldn't help himself. "What's on your mind?"

She swallowed, hard, her heart painfully thudding in double time against her ribs. In a shallow, whispered voice, she told him. "I'm thinking this isn't supposed to be happening. We shouldn't be _this_ close."

"No," he agreed, "we shouldn't."

He chewed at his bottom lip, his eyes drifting from the sexy pout of her lips, up to her fathomless, dark brown eyes. She looked so sexy, with her hair all messy and wet, and her caramel skin glistening from the rain every time the lightening flashed above them. Before either one of them knew what they were doing, her hands were holding him by the base of his neck and she dragged his willing body towards her, covering his mouth in a hungry, desperate kiss. Another surge of lightening cracked across the sky as he completely gave into her advances. He couldn't help himself, he missed her so much.

* * *

"Bryan, you aren't listening to me! I had sex with him in the goddamned car!"

Dragon didn't know how to respond to his TV girlfriend, momentarily unable to even process the words. He licked at his lips and furrowed his bushy brows, trying to make sense out of what she was telling him. "You, you're telling me you and Punk did it... in a car, in a parking lot at the beach? And no one... _no one_ noticed?"

"Of course not, it was storming out!"

"How romantic." He smiled at her.

"Bryan! This isn't funny, it's terrible!" She slapped his shoulder. "I screwed up so bad...I..."

"What in blue blazes possessed you to do such a thing?"

"I, I don't know, I just needed... he was there and, I wanted... he looked so damned good..." She couldn't even put it into words.

Bryan's expression softened, he knew why, and like a good friend he pulled her into a warm hug. She couldn't hold back anymore... and she began to cry. "It's all right sweetheart, I know... You miss him, and I know he misses you, otherwise he wouldn't have let it get that far." He could feel her warm, wet tears soaking into his shirt as her tiny shoulders bobbed up and down in what he could only assume was agony. "He loves you, April. He does... please, try to remember that."

"I wish I didn't love him!"

"Don't say that, because I know damned well you don't mean it. You both love one another, and it's driving the rest of us insane! Sweetie," he held her arms and looked right into her teary eyes, "you do not have to apologize for who you love. Ever. You guys just needed one another, that's all. This is nothing to be upset over, or to be ashamed about, all right?"

She sniffled a few times, but nodded. "Why do I still love him Bryan, why? He won't tell me why he left me behind, he won't say we're a couple... he continually keeps me at arm's length. I, I'm actually surprised I was able to get him to, you know..."

"You, _you_ initiated that?" The astounded look on Dragon's face said it all. "I thought Punk..."

"No, he didn't, I grabbed him and kissed him, and then it all just snowballed to hell from there." She sheepishly admitted. "And that's not the worst part..."

"Not the worst part? April, I'm not following you."

She heaved a regretful sigh. "No." Her voice was small now. "He said he loved me, and I said it back. For real."

Dragon didn't want to appear stupid, but he could not for the life of him see what the problem was there. "So what?"

Her eyes grew wide with disbelief. "So what? Bryan, he left me standing alone, no explanation, no phone call, nothing! Then he gets me in closed quarters where I lose my mind, and I practically start to strip him..." She covered her eyes, feeling a little ashamed. "I, I wasn't taking no for an answer, and I made damned well sure he was fully aware of it."

"Darlin' girl, no wonder then. What man in his right mind, especially he that loves you beyond reasoning, would turn you down when you come at him like that?"

She stayed quiet for a minute, remembering how gentle he'd been, and how easy it was to just fall back into their old routine. She loved him and she couldn't make herself stop. He said he loved her, but wouldn't give her any answers or commitments to her. All for what? "What the fuck is he hiding Bryan? You know, don't you? And don't give me that crap about him wanting to be a better man for me! He was always a better man!"

Dragon hadn't expected her to ask him outright. He refused to fuel the flames. "Honestly April, only Punk knows the real reasons he does anything. I'm not inside the man's head, but...I do know well enough to say that you just need to be patient. He'll come around and you'll see in the end, it was all worth it."

Was it? She knew better than to get into anything sexual with him. The raw emotion of it always ripped at her heart, torturing her in ways she never knew existed.

* * *

"I never should have let it get that far Eve. It was a mistake."

"No kidding! That's the trouble with men, they get a few kisses and they can't turn it off. You're not supposed to be fanning the flames!"

"I didn't start it!" He tried to defend himself.

"No, but you could have damned well stopped it."

He realized she was right, but at the time in the car that night, he felt that was right too. April still loved him, and he'd admitted the same thing to her. He just shouldn't have acted on it, the time wasn't right. Now how was he supposed to face her? "If I go on like I have been, she's going to feel like I used her, and Eve, that is NOT the case."

"Then you need to put a stop to this waiting game of yours right now and go to that girl. It's not worth the pain you're causing yourself or her. Think about this Phil... One more slap in the face and you may never have another chance to repair the damage you've done."

"Our paths are about to cross at work in a big way too. They're totally throwing me into the mix with her and Dragon. I'm supposed to be a love interest for her going forward. They may add Glen to it as well."

Even face palmed herself. "Oh great... she's going to just love that. If you two can't get on the same page, I don 't know how you're going to make this work."

"And you think _I_ do? I'm not gonna lie to you, the night in that car was amazing, and everything I'd been dreaming about since I walked out last year. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her even more."

Eve could see he was getting upset now, over-thinking the entire thing. Blaming himself again. "Phillip, please listen to me." She placed her hand on his arm and offered him a comforting smile. "If I know anything about April, it's that she's probably doing the same thing you are right now. She's blaming herself and wondering what the hell is going on. I know you have these plans and things, but honestly, honey," she caught his pensive gaze, "they aren't worth losing her over. You must see that by now."

* * *

**Okay, White Firebird is up next! Have a great week!**


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